Home Time / Alfie

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A year had passed since Alfie had transferred to Scotland to take up a role at Hogwarts. Against some pretty low odds, the pair had been brought together by what some might describe as a twist of fate after having not seen each other in over a decade. They had immediately become inseparable, just like they had been during their school days. As Esther’s girlfriends continued to settle down around her, getting hitched and having kids and all that, Alfie had remained a constant in her life this past twelve months.

They’d been toying with the idea for a while to move in together. It seemed like a pretty obvious trajectory for them both, and in theory they should make pretty compatible roommates. They were both clean freaks, they both took a lot of pride in their space, they had plenty of common interests, loved a post-work beverage and a good night out, or in. They got along like a house on fire - no problems there - and they seemed to be at similar points in their lives, on both personal and professional levels. It just made sense.

Tonight was their first night at their new flat. It was a quaint, cozy two-bedder in the heart of Hogsmeade. The pair arrived together with boxes and pot plants piled up in both arms and Esther rested the objects against the front door, securing them between its surface and her lower torso while she awkwardly searched her pocket for the set of keys they’d been given earlier that day. She managed to jiggle the lock and pushed the door open with her hip and then headed inside down the hall with Alfie in tow.

It was dark inside, and as they reached the open kitchen and living area, she plonked the items she’d been carrying down on the kitchen bench, took out her wand and muttered “Lumos.” The place illuminated, shedding a dull light on their brand new abode. Smiling, she turned to Alfie, arms sweeping out in a silly grand presentation of the nothingness inside the flat. “Welcome home, Professor O’Callaghan!”


alfie edward o'callaghan

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Now that it was officially summer and Alfie had been in the UK for an entire school year, the Professor was ready to get away from the castle for a few months. As much as he had grown to enjoy working at Hogwarts, he was feeling suffocated in the castle the past couple of months and he was ready for a change of scenery. Being away from home had been very hard on him but he was adjusting and he was even happier having a support system like Esther by his side. Over the past year, they had grown very close, it was as if they were never apart all of those years. Alfie was relieved to have a friend like Esther, she helped him get through the year and always kept him on his toes. He adored her and there was nothing he wouldn't do for Esther. 

As the pair made it down the hallways to their new flat in Hogsmeade, Alfie couldn't help but be excited. This was his first place in London, it was a monumental moment! After Esther stepped inside, Alfie pushed the door so that it would swing all the way open as she cast light from her wand. He took a look curious around, everything exceeding his expectations already. "Not too shabby, Doc." he nodded in approval. Honestly, he was easy to please, happier because it was a place of their own. "This place is gonna be awesome, Es." he set the two boxes he was carrying in his arms on the counter and joined her sweeping motion into nothingness. "We should just keep it like this so we could have more room for activities..." he joked, removing a couple of the small potted plants and placing them near the window sill. 

@esther

[Deleted]

It was incredibly exciting to look around and see the potential of this new place. This new home. The possibilities were endless and she was sure that they were going to make a real nice vibe in here together. She had already started picturing where stuff could go, although it would be easier to assess in the daytime with the curtains open, or once they’d set up some better lighting...

Esther opened up one of the boxes and took out a few candles and sat them there on the kitchen bench, allowing the wicks to come alight on their own, as magic candles do. The next important thing was the whiskey - she retrieved that from her bag, opened it up, took a great swig and then handed it to Alfie, wincing as the fiery cinnamon filled her mouth. She wasn’t sure yet where their glassware was packed.

Placing her hands on her hips, she looked to her newly appointed room mate with a sly grin, “Well, first things first…” She sure looked as if she were about to be up to no good given the playful expression that filled her features. “How are we going to decide who gets the biggest room?”


alfie edward o'callaghan

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Esther asked Alfie how they would decide on who gets the bigger bedroom. Chuckling, he shrugged his shoulders upwards lazily.  In reality Alfie didn't care which room he got because he was happy to be away from the castle, but he loved friendly competition, especially with Esther.  Cocking his head to the side, he smiled slowly, "Whoever gets there first.." he looked at her with an intense stare, pretending to book it for the master bedroom, but abruptly stopping on the second step. "The only fair way to decide is a competition.." he drawled epicly, eyes trailing to the boxes on the counter. He yanked a bottle of fire whiskey out of one of the boxes and raised it Lion King style, singing ‘Nants ingonyama' from the opening number. "Drinking the nectar of the Gods, of course. Matching one for one until someone wussies out, deeming the other the winner of the suite." he shared the rules in his typical Alfie fashion, giving her a look to see if she were down or not. "-or we could pull a straw and pick a winner but that sounds boring."

Esther Garnet

[Deleted]

Alfie may not have minded about the bigger bedroom, but Esther was eyeing off that extra wardrobe space, and she felt like she needed it more than Alfie. She wanted that room. The friendly competition between them was just an extra bit of fun and a foreshadowing of things to come. As he looked set to take off towards it in a ‘race you there’, kinda scenario, Esther stood in front of him with her arms out, pretending to block the way. She grabbed both his forearms like she would definitely attempt to tackle him if he even dared to get to the winning bedroom before her.

She laughed as he stopped in his tracks and she lowered her hands and rested them on her hips instead. He was clearly messing with her, and then he raised the bottle of firewhiskey, holding it on display like baby Simba being presented to the kingdom. She didn’t understand the reference, but the intent was there and it amused her all the same. “Alright, now you’re talking,” she told him as he explained the loose ‘rules’. She feigned a serious competition face. “So long as you don't cry too much when I drink you under the table… Go on then, care to kick us off?”

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Alfie cocked his head to the side when Esther told him not to cry too much when she outdrank him. He felt like she was really underestimating his abilities! It had been a while since he binge drank, but he was always down for a challenge, especially with Esther. She always got cute when she wanted something. "Hey, I went to college. I know how to drink." he informed her jokingly with his typical Alfie nerd sass. The Professor unscrewed the bottle with one fluid movement, digging in the box behind him for a couple of glasses. All he found were drinking glasses. He shrugged with a chuckle. "These will have to do." he said lazily, not caring to find shot classes or for her approval. He filled the first line of each cup, which seemed about a double shots worth, for each cup. "Bottoms up." he raised the glass and threw it back with a deadpan expression for Esther, although it did burn his throat, he was able to put on his teacher face. 

Esther Garnet

[Deleted]

Unsurprisingly, this drinking game was causing a little bit of dejavu for the blonde. It’d been awhile since the two of them settled an argument with a drinking challenge, since they were supposedly professional adults these days. But Esther wasn’t one to argue. Alfie had a way of making everything fun -  everything was a good idea when Alfie proposed it as a game!

She rolled her eyes in mock disapproval when he mentioned he’d learned his skills from college. Whilst she didn’t doubt it, it was very cliche - she could say the same for herself but instead she took the glass that he offered and held it up to his to make a clinking sound and cheersed him.

Esther took the shot back with a slight struggle - there was way more volume than she anticipated and so she held it in her mouth while she swallowed it in two parts, squinted, coughed a bit and then covered her mouth with her hand as she winced from the burning that travelled down her throat. “Merlin’s beard.” she muttered through clenched teeth “Didn’t realise you wanted it that bad, Professor.” She teased, but held the glass up for him to refill it anyway, because she was not giving up the good room that easily!

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Whenever Esther called Alfie 'Professor', it always made his face flicker with amusement. Today was no exception. Alfie chuckled at the word, raising his glass to his lips to bring more of the fire whiskey into his mouth. He swallowed easily, shrugging his shoulders with nonchalance, "This is too easy," he shook his head, filling the empty space in her glass with the liquid. His eyes dropped to their belongings scattered throughout the empty apartment, "Lets up the stakes a bit," Alfie chuckled, turning on his heel and rummaging through one of the enchanted boxes they brought with them. The box was filled with new furniture to put together for their new place. A couple of tables and bar stools for the living area. The Professor scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Whoever builds the first stool correctly without magic, wins.." he added with funny hand gestures as he mentioned 'no magic', lugging the heavier box out of the enchanted vessel. "I am willing to give you a five minute advantage." Alfie told her in jest, his tone laced with sweetness. Alfie already knew she'd complain at him being better at building things, but he wanted to see if she was down for a friendly competition. Raising his glass to his lips again, he brought the liquid into his mouth and swallowed.



Esther Garnet

[Deleted]

Alfie was right when he announced that their little competition was too easy. The two of them could drink all night and go for quite some time, and by the time either of them were in a state to claim the title of the best drinker, they probably wouldn’t remember what had happened anyway.

Obviously this was all to be taken with a grain of salt. Esther knew that if she wanted the big bedroom badly enough that Alfie would let her have it - but that wasn’t the point. The point was that the pair were both as bad as each other when it came to engaging in silly activities for the sake of a laugh.

Esther’s brows arched upwards as Alfie removed some furniture from their boxes and proposed a race to build a stool. Without magic. “Are you serious?” she asked with an upwards inflection, “That doesn’t seem very fair. I bet you’ve done that kind of thing before just for fun.” He offered an advantage to the blonde of a five minute head start, and Esther paused in thought, then shrugged. “Fine.” She knocked back the next shot of whiskey and leaned down to kneel on the floor. She took one of the legs and the seat and held the two together where they ought to go, but she wasn’t sure how they were supposed to adhere to each other without the aid of magic. With or without magic, she was probably going to be bad at this kind of thing. She looked up to Alfie with a blank expression, insinuating her disapproval for what was about to ensue, expecting full well for him to be amused by her inability to put together a simple piece of furniture.

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Alfie couldn't hide the smile from his face at Esther's disapproval as she started to assemble the bar stool. She was doing it all wrong. There was something about her face that made his stomach warm at that moment. Or maybe it was the alcohol. There was something about her expression that wasn't only cute, it was familiar. But he wasn't thinking into it too much in the moment. Alfie was used to having these moments with Esther. Usually, he was quick to shake it off. Alfie pointed at her, gesturing to the piece he was referring to in her hands. "First off, make sure that piece with the holes is facing you..." Alfie instructed, not trying to mansplain to her, but she had it facing the wrong way, and he didn't want her to complicate things so early on in the process.

The tall man allowed his legs to collapse and his body to fall beside the female, nursing the bottle of firewhisky in his grasp, "I'll drink more for your benefit." he told her, drinking straight from the bottle more for her reaction. The warmness was already creeping into his stomach and flushing his cheeks. He outstretched his arm with the bottle, encouraging her to drink more, partially to sabotage her building.

Esther Garnet

[Deleted]

Esther’s lips pursed together in an attempt to hide a smirk that was emerging on account of Alfie’s obvious amusement. She narrowed her eyes in on him and shook her head in another display of mock disapproval. There was something about her friendship with Alfie where she felt she could truly be herself, not having to conform to that whole nonchalant, emotionless vixen of a medical professional persona that she’s managed to make for herself at work.

The Herbology professor instructed her to make sure that the piece of furniture with the holes was facing you, and she couldn’t help but retort, “that’s what she said,” ever so casually, as if it were as common and innocent to saying “bless you” when someone sneezes.

By this point she didn’t even care to try and construct this stool and she never had really. Alfie slid down beside her and held out the bottle to her, and she took it from him before giving him a good shove, connecting her elbow to his shoulder. “I think I’ll just put a barrier charm on the doorway instead,” she joked, threatening to claim the room by means of magic despite this competition they had already agreed on.

[alfie edward o'callaghan]

Alfie gaped, eyes widening at her as if he'd never heard a 'That's what she said' joke. He was guilty of making them on occasionally, shamelessly, as a school Professor in his thirties. Well, not towards students, but even Alfie couldn't help stifle a laugh when an immature joke was made. "Heh. I don't know who 'she' is...but she sounds like a hoochie..." he scrunched his nose jokingly with a chuckle and shook his head back and forth in disgrace. It was becoming clear that Esther sucked at building things. This wasn't a fair challenge.

The blonde punched his shoulder as she grabbed the alcohol from his grip, he pretended like she hit him harder than she had, like a wimp. All for comedic effect. "Since we don't want you to damage our new furniture any further...I'll just do it." he agreed with a chuckle, reaching for the pieces and shambles with grabby hands. "Just drink with me and you can have the room." Alfie gave in, though he knew he would give in...he always gave in to Esther. He found it pretty crazy that they were living together after so many years of losing contact. Alfie reached for the bottle, "The other room has better lighting and larger window anyways." he told her as a matter of factly before taking a sip.

Esther Garnet