apples and scented candles • h.potter ✓

• thirty •

Corben was just taking his keys out from his pocket when he noticed that the door to his appartment was unlocked. With a sigh, he pushed open the door and stormed into the living room, where, as expected, sat Blaise. Settled calmly on the sofa and reading the book he had left on his table in the morning.

He dropped the keys on the table with a loud clatter, glaring at his brother. "I need to sit down and talk to both of you one day. About respecting my privacy."

Blaise set aside the book and looked at him. "Did you know? That Theo got a job in Diagon Alley?"

Corben froze for a moment. "No," he answered. Technically, he wasn't lying. He knew Theo was looking for a job, but he didn't know he had got one already. But Blaise wasn't one to be fooled. He sat down gingerly beside him, taking off his cloak.

"He told you, didn't he?" he asked.

"He told me that he was looking for a job," said Corben cautiously, scrutinising his brother. He needed to know what Blaise felt about this, but his face remained as impassive as always. "So … did he start?"

"Yes. Twilfitt and Tattings."

Twilfitt and Tattings was a robe shop in Diagon Alley that sold more embellished robes than Madam Malkin's. Corben knew the robes at Malkin's were of a lower quality, but they got more customers due to the cheaper prices. Corben and Blaise have always shopped for their robes at Twilfitt and Tattings though, and he could see why the place would attract Theo.

He rubbed his hand over his thigh with a sense of discomfort. Blaise was staring at him intently, like he was trying to bore through his mind and find out all of his deepest and darkest secrets. When he didn't speak, Corben sighed and looked at him. "Why did you come here?" he asked.

"How come he told you about this job, but not me?"

Corben heaved an exasperated breath. "Really, Blaise? You're asking me why your boyfriend didn't tell you that he wanted a job at Diagon Alley when you've been constantly hounding me about my training at the Ministry?"

"But why would he need a job?" asked Blaise with what sounded like desperation in his voice. "It's not like we don't have money."

"Money isn't the only reason people get jobs."

"Well, what's his reason, then?" Blaise demanded.

"Why don't you ask him?"

Blaise, for the first time, looked a little lost. "He won't tell me. He says he needs some time off. Time off from what?"

Time off from you. It was with great effort that Corben managed to keep the words to himself. He knew how devastating it would be for Blaise to hear that, but a part of him argued that he would deserve it. In the end, he decided not to aggravate his brother and instead, said, "Well, why does it matter why he wants a job? Shouldn't you be happy that he's doing something he wants to do?"

Blaise scoffed. "Oh yes, because he's wanted to work at Twilfitt and Tattings since he was a kid. Always has been his dream job."

Corben dropped his head over his hands in exasperation. "Do you see now? This is exactly why he didn't want to tell you. You're not supportive at all. Anything and everything I did in my life - you had to have a problem with it. Same with Theo. You only care about how things affect you. That they might make us happy is something you cannot even comprehend."

"He could've at least told me he was looking for a job," said Blaise in a small voice.

"And then what?" Corben countered. "You'd have discouraged him, tried to tell him that he was making a mistake, made him feel small. It's not fun, Blaise."