[Shoreditch] We're more alike than we'd like to admit. [Darren]

Spending the year without Darren around at Hogwarts had been pretty good all round. Vin had avoided having to go 'home' for the various holidays, not that he really had a 'home' anywhere. The place that he'd spent the last summer in with his siblings had, of course, been too much for Darren to keep up by himself, so the eldest Hadditch had downsized to his own place. Alvin had no intention of ever going back to his mum's, in fact when the Hogwarts Express finally pulled in to Kings Cross Station, he barely acknowledged his mother's existence as he made sure that his younger sister Kelly got to her safely. For Alvin, that bridge was severed, and he was pretty sure that both Ryan and Darren felt the same.

It left Alvin in a strange limbo of technical homelessness. Officially, he was underage, and Darren was still his legal guardian according to the Ministry. Officially, Darren's flat was Vin's 'home'. That idea didn't sit happily with the younger Hadditch. He'd enjoyed not having Darren lurking around every corner ready to make his life hell. Having to go back and actually live with him again wasn't a pleasant option. So avoiding having to meet face-to-face with his brother for the first time in months, Vin had spent his first night out of Hogwarts with Sarah. Actually, he intended to spend as much time staying with her this summer as possible and as little time with his brothers.

Alvin tactfully waited until the next afternoon before catching the tube to Shoreditch, sure that Darren would be out of the house by that time. He aimed to drop off his trunk and leave again before his brother got back. He attracted some curious stares on the underground carrying a large Hogwarts branded trunk and a cage with a small brown owl in it, but Alvin had an aggressive snarl ready for anyone who caught his eyes and as he got to Shoreditch, the boarded up shops and graffiti-covered railway felt familiar. The buildings were a different style from the council estate he'd grown up on, but it had the same feel. Others might have found the area intimidating, potentially dangerous even, but Vin relaxed easily into the environment, heading down the unknown roads comfortably until he found himself standing outside a dirty and run-down looking takeout pizza joint.

He lugged his trunk up the stairs (trying to view the effort as extra training rather than an annoyance) and when he got to the door, fished out his wand, muttering a soft 'Alohomora' at the lock, ignoring the laws of under-age magic. It wasn't like they could trace the magic to him when there were other wizards sharing the building. The lock gave a rusty-sounding click and Alvin nudged the door open with his elbow, dragging his trunk through the tiny hallway and into the flat's main room.

It was obvious to Darren why he hadn't seen his youngest brother since last summer, Alvin was avoiding him. The idea made Darren smile. The fact that his own flesh and blood had gone through so much trouble. Of course Darren had no plans of ever going back to his mothers home, even if he was underage he wouldn't of. Darren would of rather slept in a bus stop then live with that poor excuse of a woman for one more day. Darren had a feeling Alvin felt the same way. He loved that Alvin didn't want to stay with him either, mostly because of the fact that the ministry considered Darren as Alvin's "guardian". As soon as he'd gotten the letter saying that the ministry assumed Alvin would be staying with him during the summer ideas began to form. It was easy enough to make little Vinnie's life hell while they were at school, but it was going to be so much easier now that Alvin was going to be living under his roof. A part of Darren knew he should stop spending so much energy on causing his brother pain but the rest of him just couldn't kick the habit. He had spent about two hours lounging around the night before, waiting for Alvin, before he realized the younger Slytherin wasn't coming. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, he probably would of done the same thing if the roles were switched.

Darren knew eventually Alvin would have to show up so the next day he went back to waiting around for him. He had been sitting on the couch, with the television on, smoking a cigarette when he heard the lock on the front door click. A smirk crept across his face as the door opened. He turned to his younger brother but didn't stand up to greet him. "And where have you been young man?" He said with a fake fatherly voice. Darren had seen enough televisions shows to know what a caring father might do in this kind of situation because he didn't know from experience. "We were worried sick about you." He said having trouble trying to keep from out right laughing. Ryan probably didn't even know that school was out yet, that was how much the two older brothers cared. Standing up now he crossed the room and stood in front of Alvin, not so close that they could touch, but close enough that he would be able to see any change of expression on his siblings face. "There are going to be some changes this summer. Rules." He said with a stern voice and crossed his arms over his chest. "And while your living under my roof you will live by my rules." Darren had been waiting all morning to use a line as cliche as that.

"First of which, you will do whatever Ryan and I say, whenever we say it."

Of course he knew Alvin wouldn't actually do his bidding, those days were long gone. Alvin was getting older and Darren was no fool. He knew his brother could hold his own in a fight and that he wasn't some snivelling kid anymore. None of that mattered to the oldest Hadditch boy though. He knew that he didn't always have to beat up Alvin to keep him in line. Sometimes threats, fear tactics, and good old fashioned black mail would do just fine. "If you don't we will lock you on the roof until term starts again." There wasn't much roof to speak of, just a small area of concrete and mold that was accessible through a hatch in the living room ceiling. Maybe Alvin would be dumb enough to try to climb down the side of the building. Darren thought about the idea and smiled again. He knew all of what he was saying was just words. Really it lacked all of the fear and passion of Darren's normal routine with Alvin, but it had been nearly a year since he saw his brother, perhaps he was a little rusty. He had faith that tormenting the young man in front of him would be like riding a bike, it would all come back to him soon enough. Besides messing with Vin was like playing chess, and no one got the check mate on the first move. He'd have to start slow and then when the timing was right he'd crush him... it'd be just like the old days.

As Alvin pushed open the door, his eyes settled on a figure sitting on the sofa. His first thought was that it was Ryan, but as Darren turned towards him, his stomach sank. Darren was home. Why was Darren home? Was he waiting for him purposefully? His next words seemed to suggest that - the line was something out of a movie. It was the kind of line that the Hadditch boys had never had to answer - Jack was simply never around, and Emma never seemed to be bothered when her sons got home. The idea that Darren would actually care about his wellbeing was ridiculous and for a moment Vin wondered who the 'we' included, before realising he meant Ryan. Vin rolled his eyes, wondering whether Darren actually wanted an answer, or was just giving the line for effect. Even if Darren did expect an answer, Vin wasn't giving him one. It was none of Darren's business where he'd been and he certainly wasn't letting Darren know the one place that he had sanctuary from his brothers this summer.

His features settling into an unamused frown, Alvin watched as Darren stood and crossed the room. Darren seemed shorter. He was still far taller than Vin, of course, but it seemed that Alvin had grown a little since they'd last stood face to face and lessened the height difference between them. Subconsciously, he broadened his shoulders and crossed his arms across his chest, trying to match Darren's height with the evidence of his own strength. Inwardly he groaned at Darren's words. He'd hoped that Darren would be content to just ignore Alvin and the pair of them could go on avoiding each other. It had worked just fine during term time. Vin hadn't heard from Darren for most of the year - no letters, not even a Christmas card (although he'd gotten one from both his mother and his father this year, which had been a little surreal).

Vin rolled his eyes at Darren's command for obedience, and the following threat was just stupid. Ok, so the Slytherin couldn't yet apparate, but he could certainly get down from a rooftop by himself. Hell, he'd been climbing all over the roofs at Hogwarts for years. Darren had been trying to get Alvin to do what he said since they were kids, and Alvin wasn't sure why Darren thought he was about to give in now. Now when he matched Darren in strength, maybe was even capable of physically overpowering him, for the first time in their lives. Ok, so Darren was smarter, a lot smarter, and tended to think more outside the box... and his dueling talents probably outnumbered Alvin's, but none of this would make Vin even consider giving in to his eldest brother. Never. Never without a fight.

But Alvin wasn't the same boy that he'd been a couple of years back. He'd learned to control his temper mostly. He'd learned to think a little before acting. He'd learned that with Darren, launching into anger-fueled violence was exactly the reaction that Darren expected, and Alvin never won. "Who said anything about living under your roof?" he finally replied, leaning back against his trunk, inwardly relieved that he'd left his precious possessions - including his broom - at Sarah's. "I'd've thought you'd want me out of your way,"

Another part of Darren's technique was demanding things that were outrageous and making crazy threats. He found that if he started with completely unbelievable ideas his victims were far more susceptible to reasonable ones. Darren knew Alvin would never bend to his every wish, if he did Darren would probably hate him even more. Hadditchs weren't servants. He also knew that locking Alvin up on the roof wasn't exactly feasible. Sure he could levitate him up there pretty easily, and he was sure he could use some spells to put up a ward that would keep him from being able to climb down, but it just lacked any kind of flare. Now if he didn't live in a second story apartment he might of had some better options. Darren pondered the idea of locking Alvin in a crawl space under a house... the idea made him smile a little. He'd like to see Alvin fight his way out of that one, his quidditch skills wouldn't help him if he only had a few feet to squirm around in. He shook his head at the younger boy when he replied. "Well the Ministry of course, and we must listen to what the ministry tells us." The sarcasm was dripping from his words. He knew Alvin had about as much respect for the ministry as he did. Glorified cops.

Really Darren was trying to find out what Alvin's plans for the summer really were. He had taken a bit of information from the two sentences that Alvin had spoken. One he had learned that his youngest brother didn't plan on living with him, but he had brought his trunk. Darren didn't completely understand why he had done that? If he had somewhere else to stay why would he bother even coming by at all. It wasn't like his brothers would come track him down if he didn't show up. "If not here then where do you plan to live this summer?" he asked as he moved across the room. He stepped toward Alvin but did not approach him. Instead he went to the small dingy refrigerator and pulled hard on the door to get it open. It was old and the lining was beginning to stick together, making it difficult to open. He pulled out two beers and then turned and shut the door with his foot. He opened his on the edge of the counter and then walked straight to Vin and held out a beer to him. A small part of him thought about snatching it away as soon as his brother reached for it, but he thought that might be a little too childish for today. Besides there were plenty of better ways to play keep away.

"Here." he stated, expecting him to take the beer. He took a drink of the cold liquid and then looked at the young Slytherin again. Darren's cold dark eyes took in what he was seeing. Alvin was taller and looked like he may of filled out a little during the term, Darren wasn't surprised. Seeing as he knew Alvin was on the Quidditch team (he refused to acknowledge the fact that he had not only been on the team but that he was captain) so of course he was in good shape. As much as Darren hated to admit it he knew one day Alvin might be able to win in a fight between the two of them. It might not be til Darren was old and feeble, for once Alvin being younger would be his strength, but it was inevitable. However Darren was confident that he would always be better than his brothers at wand magic. He had spent a great deal of time practicing. Far more than he thought Alvin ever would. He took another drink and asked his baby brother another question. "So how many classes did you fail this term?" Darren had tried to encourage Alvin to do well in school while he was still there. Sure his methods might of been looked down on, but it was the only way he knew how.

Alvin knew that Darren didn't give a shit what the ministry thought. Vin wasn't sure on the details, but he was pretty sure that Darren made his money by breaking the law and none of the three brothers had ever been law-abiding citizens. Stealing and dodging the pigs had been a way of life. So Alvin rolled his eyes, subconsciously taking a step back as Darren headed towards him. As much as Vin might like to think that his days of fearing Darren were over, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Being scared of Darren was ingrained into his very being. He'd been trained to fear his brother, and that would always give Darren the advantage.

"I just thought I'd crash at friends'," he muttered, still not willing to share any actual information with the other boy. "Then you and Ryan get your place to yourself... and if the ministry comes knocking, you can tell them I'm at a sleepover, or whatever." He eyed Darren suspiciously as he offered the beer, feeling uncomfortable at the gesture. He never wanted to refuse anything that Darren gave him, and to be honest, having dragged his trunk across town, a cold beer would be welcome, but as he reached forward, he half expected the bottle to be snatched out of his grip at the last minute.

Instead, Darren let him take the cold bottle, and Vin pulled a bottle opener from his keychain and flipped off the bottletop, pocketing both the top and the opener before taking a sip. The cold beer did feel good. Vin hadn't realised how thirsty he was. He was also hungry, and now the thought occurred that he should have popped in downstairs for some chips before coming up. Mind you, he hadn't expected to be getting the inquisition from Darren. He'd thought he could have been in and out again.

"Ain't got the letter with my OWLs yet," he muttered, in response. "It'll probably come here." And there was no doubt in his mind that any mail that dropped through Darren's letterbox with Vin's name on it would be opened by the elder Hadditch without a moment's hesitation. "I don't think I did too badly though," he continued, thinking back to the exams. Sure, all of the essays had been a nightmare, but the practicals had been a breeze. "Reckon I walked Defense and Charms... Potions was ok too..."

He paused, taking another sip of his beer. "Did Ryan tell you that Slyth won the Quidditch cup?" There was just a hint of pride to his words. He tried to smother it, because any open emotion like that was just fair game for Darren to prey on, but there was still a large part of Alvin that desperately sought Darren's approval. He wanted Darren to be impressed.

Crash at a friends? Darren didn't think Alvin actually had any friends. He never spoke about them, not by name any way, so Darren had just assumed... but the more that he thought about it he began to realize Alvin probably never brought them up on purpose. Was he trying to keep things from him? The idea made Darren want to know where his brother was spending his time this summer even more. "A sleepover?" He asked with an eyebrow raised and a mocking smile forming. "Do you and your besties' have sleep overs often at Hogwarts? Stay up all night talking about boys and hair products?" He chuckled and then shook his head. Sometimes Alvin made it too easy for Darren to find things to make fun of him about, but Darren didn't mind picking low hanging fruit. He decided to let the sleepover jokes end there and took another drink from his bottle. It seemed the hotter the weather the more beer Darren began to drink. He almost always had a case in the fridge and he tended to get a bit cranky when he didn't. Of course it might of had nothing to do with the weather, it could just be because he was out of school now and he was insanely bored.

After asking about his brother's grades this term Darren crossed the room once more and sunk into the couch. He put his feet up on the table and got comfortable. He set down his beer on the milk crate that was positioned as an end table next to his seat and reached for the television remote. "It already came, you really gotta' work harder little brother..." He shook his head as he let that statement sink in with Alvin. Of course the letter didn't already come, but that didn't mean Alvin knew it. Darren found a way to mess with him and he was taking the shot. "I mean I figured you would bomb the boring stuff like herbology but I thought you would at least get a passing grade in potions." He clicked the buttons on the remote repetitively, trying to find something to watch. "Kinda' disappointing." He laid the remote down on the arm of the couch to grab his beer again and realized he was playing out another stereotype movie scene. He was the drunk dad, too busy with his television to really pay attention to the son. The idea was entertaining to the former Slytherin.

The idea that Alvin had led his house to Quidditch victory wasn't nearly as entertaining however.

Sure Darren was proud that his former house had triumphed. And maybe he was even a little proud that Alvin had accomplished something as great as that, but that feeling was of course buried way down. Darren would never admit that Alvin did a good job, it would demolish any leverage Darren held over his younger brother. So instead he just nodded and kept his voice even and cold. "Yeah he mentioned that." Finding a channel on the t.v. that had zombies and girls in bikinis running around Darren stopped clicking the remote. "Who was the final game against?" He then asked without looking over at Alvin. Moving around in his seat he stretched so he could reach into his pocket and get out a cigarette and lighter. He lit his cigarette and made sure the ceramic ash tray was still sitting on the crate next to him. It was nearly over flowing with cigarettes now, butts sticking out in every direction.

Of course Darren picked up on his sleepover comment, and seemed to have missed the underlying sarcasm to Vin's original comment. Probably because Vin didn't do sarcastic well. He was more of a straightforward type of guy. "Yeah, sure, every night. Face masks and all," he added, raising an eyebrow as he watched Darren settle on the sofa. Alvin awkwardly loitered where he was, not sure if he should sit down. Leaving probably wasn't an option. Not until Darren told him to anyway. As much as Vin hated obeying his older brother, there were some things that just weren't worth fighting. Sometimes it was easier to just let him say whatever it was he wanted to say.

And he didn't believe for one second that the letter from Hogwarts had beaten him back here. He especially didn't think he'd failed potions. It was one of the few classes he was actually good at. "Yeah, sure," he muttered, obvious that he didn't trust a word that Darren was saying. He was just messing with him. Or trying to, anyway. "And I bet you got full marks all round, huh? 'O's in every OWL?" there was a mocking edge to his words, just shy of calling Darren a teacher's pet. Part of Alvin was jealous of his brother's ability to breeze through any test without a single ounce of effort. Everything always seemed to come so easy to him.

There was no approval to Darren's voice as he acknowledged the win, which was a slight disappointment to Alvin. He knew that Darren wouldn't show him any kind of respect or approval, but Vin kept hoping that one day he'd do something that Darren would acknowledge. Darren was the only role model that was a constant in Alvin's life. He was the only one with an opinion that Vin really cared for, and unfortunately for Alvin the chances of Darren ever having a positive opinion of him was miniscule. "Hufflepuff," he responded, moving to lean against the back of the sofa, still unsure if he should sit or not. Despite the mocking and taunts, Darren was being surprisingly civil. "They've had a strong team for the last couple of years now. Ravenclaw were pathetic and Gryffindor have just lost the edge..." Vin felt slightly guilty for insulting his girlfriend's team, but ah well. She wasn't here to be disappointed.

Vin shifted uneasily as Darren got out his cigarettes, trying to suppress the rising panic that always came when he saw them. It wasn't just when Darren smoked around him, but anyone. The smell of it just made him uncomfortable. Sarah smoked and Vin had tried to get used to it, but it just put him on edge.

Sometimes Darren forgot that Alvin wasn't as dumb as he thought. When they were younger Alvin was easily impressionable, all kids are. He wasn't like that anymore. He didn't just blindly believe whatever story Darren spun into exsistence... it disapointed the older brother. He missed being able to tell him any tale he wanted and to be believed. He loved watching the horror spread on young Vin's face when he told him about the monsters in the closet before bed. Those were good times. When he realized that Alvin wasn't going to believe his bit about the Hogwarts letter Darren cut his losses and moved forward. Did he get all O's? No. Did he get a lot of them? Yeah. Probably more than Alvin would ever dream of. Alvin was smart, but Darren knew for sure that he was smarter. "They don't even test me, I'm just to brilliant." He said, actually making a sarcastic joke to his brother. Maybe he was going soft. After he had said it he had to pause for moment. Two years ago they wouldn't be talking... Darren would be hurting Alvin. Thats how their conversations in the past had gone and he knew he couldn't let Alvin think for one minute that he had gone soft. He had to kick things up a bit.

Hufflepuff? Alvin was excited because he beat the badgers? Darren was unimpressed and his face showed it. "If you say so." He said to the idea of the Puffs having a strong team. Darren would believe that when he saw it... which would be never. He did however agree with the fact that Gryffindor had lost their edge. They had lost Jane after all. He thought about mentioning that but stopped, realizing this pleasant conversation just wasn't them. Darren got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach like this was very wrong. And he had to be the one to fix it. "Why don't you sit down?" He snapped, and looked at the one and only couch in the room. Taking another hit off his cigarette and then ashing in the tray beside him he looked at the end of his cigarette. "You don't mind that I'm smoking do ya'?" He smiled now, knowing part of the reason why it was clear that Alvin didn't like cigarettes. "Don't worry, I'll try not to burn ya' this time. I can be pretty clumsy sometimes." At this he laughed. It wasn't a loud over bearing laugh, just a small chuckle, but the smile that lingered after word showed just how happy Darren was with himself.

Grabbing his beer he kept his cigarette in one hand and the drink in the other. The cool liquid really hit the spot after the harsh smoke of a non filtered cigarette crashed down his throat. He smoked this cigarette slow, dragging it out as he waited for Alvin to get situated on the couch. He watched his brother assess his options and then finally make a move to sit on the couch. The corners of Darren's mouth pulled a little, he wondered if Alvin realized that there was only one other seat in the room and that Darren had done it on purpose. He had staged the area for this conversation. Some might say he wasted too much time just trying to mess with his younger brother but Darren would argue that if he was going to do something he should do it right. And Darren happened to be damn good at messing with Alvin. He had sucessfully lured him into his apartment, gotten him to sit exactly where he had wanted, and now the fun could begin. Had he rushed Alvin as soon as he got into the door he had a feeling that his brother would have just turned around and ran away. He wasn't as young as he used to be, Darren couldn't scare him into not being able to move.

He could still scare him though, of that he was certain.

When Alvin was sitting on the couch Darren finished off his beer and stood up. He walked around the back of the couch and stopped behind his brother. With cigarette in hand he let his forearm rest on the back of the couch, close to Alvin's face. "Do you need another beer?" He made sure the smoke from the cigarette made its way toward Vin as he waited for an answer. He hoped the cigarette would be closest enough to the young Hadditch's face to make him nervous. Very uncomfortable at the least. It wasn't a straight forward kind of play, that wasn't Darren's style. He was more into the back door kind of approach. His most favorite way to fight with his brother was to trick Alvin into actually starting the fight. There was something extra special about getting someone to throw the first punch, and then beating them down anyways. Darren had grown quite good at pissing off his brothers over the years. Each of them had their own little flaws that Darren could find. He was particularly good at finding Alvin's loose threads and then with one swift yank, he'd unravel the whole thing. He knew Alvin was older and he was growing up. He'd spent the last year away from Darren and maybe he'd gotten stronger in that time. Or maybe he'd started to let his guard down a bit. Either way, Darren aimed to find out.

Normally Alvin would reject Darren's offer to sit, simply because it wasn't an offer - it was an order. He had to remind himself, before he said anything, that he was trying to keep Darren off of his back. If that meant making small chat for a few minutes before he could leave, then fine. He moved over to the sofa, awkwardly dropping to sit there and shifting forwards, feeling like Darren was watching him... and only now starting to grow paranoid. Darren had that look which Vin was well adept at spotting - the look which said that everything was going to plan exactly how Darren wanted it... and that idea terrified the younger brother. "No, course I don't mind," he lied, avoiding letting his eyes linger on the red glow of the tip of the cigarette and trying to ignore Darren's taunt.

But he couldn't ignore the fact that Darren stood up and moved over behind him. Vin's spine shuddered autonomously as he turned his head to follow his brother's path, a sense of foreboding rising up within him. He didn't want to appear weak, or scared, so he tried not to move too much, but instinctively he turned his face away from the cigarette that was now so close to him, leaning slightly away from it as the smoke seemed to surround him, filling his nostrils and making his eyes water. Vin wasn't sure if that was the smoke itself, or just the memory of the burn. Visions of the Slytherin dungeons back in his third year rose to his mind - the sheer, overwhelming pain of the cigarette burning his cheek so close to his eye... and the way that Darren had choked him until he was sure that his brother would kill him there and then.

Darren had asked a question, and Vin struggled to focus on that, though his eyes remained fixed on Darren's cigarette as he stuttered his response, "N-no... thanks... I-I'm fine..." He sounded scared. He sounded pathetic, but he just couldn't help the affect that Darren's closeness coupled with the cigarette smoke had on him. He wanted to run, but firstly he had a feeling he wouldn't get far before Darren could stop him with a hex, and secondly, he knew he'd never live it down. At this point, Darren was just playing. Just trying to scare him. Alvin just had to get through it.

Sometimes Darren thought back to that day in the dungeons so many years ago now. Why hadn't he just killed his brother? It would of saved him quite a bit of trouble in the end. He knew he had the stones to kill a person, if he needed to, that wasn't the issue. No matter how much Alvin irritated Darren he was still family. Family was one of the few things that Darren actually cared about. Sure his way of caring was sick, twisted, and probably in need of medical attention, but that was just how he worked. He wanted Alvin to succeed because he was a Hadditch. Darren felt like he had built a name for the three boys at Hogwarts and he simply wouldn't have them tear it to shreds. He wanted people to remember their names and most importantly he wanted the memory to be associated with fear. Most students knew who the Hadditchs were, for a number of reasons, and though Darren would never admit it Alvin being Quidditch Captain was one of those reasons. As long as they didn't remember him for being a pointless trouble maker or a soft heart, he would let his brother live. Thats what their little rendezvous back in Alvin's third year was all about.

Darren knew if he didn't teach Alvin quick that he had to uphold the 'Hadditch' name it would crumble to pieces as soon as the two older siblings graduated. The time for Alvin to be the only remaining Hadditch boy at Hogwarts was upon them and that was part of what this meeting was about. Darren didn't fault Kelly for being a sweet little girl, he would never be mean to her for that. She had no part in their reputation. The weight of it fell onto Vin whether he liked it or not, Darren was going to remind him of that. He could tell the smoke and the cigarette was starting to bother his little brother but he didn't stop. The first part of reminding him of what they stood to lose was taking a trip down memory lane. To an outsider Darren's obsession with their name might seem trivial, but the Hadditch's didn't have a whole lot of anything else. With the cigarette in his left hand Darren used it as a pointer and noted the small round burn on Alvin's cheek. Knowing a cigarette had been the cause of it Darren smirked behind his brother. "That seems to of healed well enough." It wasn't a question, it wasn't something to be replied to, and even though he paused Darren didn't really give his brother a chance to answer.

"Do you remember what the topic of the day was when you got that scar?" With that question he moved away from the couch, the lingering smoke quickly moved away from Alvin, and Darren went to kitchen area of the room. This time he did expect an answer and he expected it to be the right one. If Alvin remembered why they were arguing that day, than the message stuck with him and Darren might go a little easier on his baby brother... probably not though. However if Vin completely forgot what their conversation was even about back then, Darren was going to remind him. And it was going to be painful for the younger boy.

The small talk was definitely over. In some ways it was a relief, because Vin always felt on edge when Darren was being nice to him. It made him wonder what was coming next. The bullying, however, was normal and Vin had a slightly better chance of keeping up with his sharper brother, predicting the twisting route that Darren's mind took. His focus on Vin's scar made it clear that the closeness of the cigarette to Alvin's face now was no accident. Alvin already felt sick. The stench of the smoke was surrounding him, poisoning the air around him. He didn't dare move, not to get away, partly for fear that Darren might accidentally brush him with the cigarette and partly for fear that Darren would purposefully brush him with the cigarette. For what seemed like an age, Vin could feel the heat of the cigarette near his skin. Just a few millimeters closer and the heat would be burning him again. All Vin could do was freeze in place and wait...

As Darren asked his next question, he moved away, and Vin let out a silent breath, his eyes moving to follow his brother's path, although he still remained frozen to the spot. Darren seemed to want an answer this time. Vin wanted to reply with something witty or insulting, to show his brother that he wasn't afraid... but he couldn't. He was afraid. He was afraid of Darren anyway, but the memories of the burn and that evening down the dungeons, the memory of helplessly choking while Darren watched him with dark, unfeeling eyes, it was all too much for the sixteen year old. He may be closer to Darren in height and physical strength now, but Darren would always be smarter, always be better than him.

And as if Alvin could ever forget his brothers words that night. They were burned onto his memory just as clearly as the burn on his cheek. "Yes... I got into trouble with our Head of House, and you were... concerned... that I was damaging our name." Did that sound alright? Or was he making it sound like Darren had overreacted. The last thing he wanted was Darren to think he was mocking him. "and the reputation that you'd made there for us," he added, trying to make it sound as if he appreciated the name that Darren had carved out at Hogwarts, when really he'd always resented being in his brothers' shadows.

Vin turned his head slowly to watch Darren in the kitchen, trying to gauge the older boy's reaction, trying to see if he'd managed to successfully jump through what was probably just the first hoop of many.

Standing near the sink Darren took another long drag of his cigarette and waited for Alvin to respond. As always, there was no emotion on his face besides a small twisted smirk. Being in control was something that Darren very much enjoyed, and he always felt in control when Alvin was around. Sure the younger boy had shot up in height, built some muscle, and managed to make team Captain back at Hogwarts but that didn't mean Darren felt inferior to him in anyway. He was still quite confident that he could take down his brother, physically and mentally, any time he chose to. Leaning against the broken countertop he nodded sharply when Alvin finally answered his question. The smile on his face grew a little but his dark eyes were as unresponsive as ever. He noticed the way that Alvin was answering the question and appreciated the fact that Alvin knew better than to be a wise ass at the moment. Darren never needed justification to hurt his brother but Alvin gave him reasons to do it often when he spoke out of line. When Vin had finished talking Darren blew out a puff of smoke with ease and then spoke, "Correct. And now that you are the only Hadditch boy left in Hogwarts," he made sure to refer to his brother as a boy because Darren still didn't think of him as much more. "That responsibility is all yours."

Darren hated that everything he built was being left in the hands of his youngest brother. At least when Ryan was there he was confident Alvin would stay in line, Ryan would tell him if he wasn't. Now that it was just Alvin and Kelly he was a bit worried about it. Part of him knew he should let it go because now that he was out of Hogwarts it was becoming more clear by the day that nothing about school mattered anymore. The Hadditch name might of got him respect when he was in school, but the crowds he ran with now had little to no idea who he was. He felt like he was starting over and that made him irritable. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you can do whatever you want now because Ryan and I have graduated." He pushed off from the counter and moved across the room, back to the sofa and stood a few feet away, facing of his brother, cigarette still in hand. "I don't feel the need to make threats because you know exactly what will happen to you if you screw up." He took another hit from his cigarette but never took his eyes off of Alvin. He was both gauging his reaction and watching where Vin's eyes went. Darren was sure that his brother knew better than to show weakness if it was avoidable, especially in the company of his brother.

"Not to mention the fact that if you screw up they might take away that shiny little Quidditch Captain's badge." Rolling his eyes and convincing at least himself that he was not jealous of his brothers Quidditch achievements Darren finished off his cigarette. Holding it between his thumb and index finger, like he was gearing up to put it out Darren looked from the ash tray to Alvin and then took a step toward his brother. He did this only to mess with Alvin some more, hoping to create as much anxiety in Vin as he possibly could. Stepping past the younger boy and returning to the kitchen area he went to the fridge, yanked it open, and pulled out another beer. Throwing the butt of the cigarette in the sink and then cracking open his beer on the counter top he turned toward Alvin. Darren was starting to get bored, he could only threaten and frighten his brother for so long before his hands started to itch for violence. Alvin was usually pretty good at trying to irritate Darren, and that usually got the painful ball rolling. "So do you understand me Vinny?" He said, putting special emphasis on the nickname at the end of his statement, hoping that would irk his brother.