Through the Dark

Chapter 32 : Part And Parcel

He could hear his father sigh as he knocked quietly outside, but he did not open the door.

Hunter clutched the sheets of his bed with a strong grip that made it looked like a madman manhandled it. He clenched his jaw, tightening it until he felt his mouth go slack and his teeth tingling from the force.

Once again, Ezra left the doorway, probably going to school now.

They had been that way for four days now. Alice had asked what was wrong; even little Stacie could feel that there was tension, but Hunter found it in himself not to care. His father was a downright arsehole. Ezra was selfish and stupid and mean and- Hunter could go on and on and the string of adjectives that were not in any least short of unpleasant and disrespectful were still ongoing.

The first day it happened, Hunter came out of the room, and Ezra was there, on the couch, probably expecting him. Hunter only spared him a loathsome glance, and said that he would go out. He came home at midnight, Ezra was worried sick on the porch, but Hunter only said, "I'm going to bed."

The mext morning, Ezra tried his hardest to make him talk to him, but Hunter waved him off, opting to go into his room and for once, fixed his eyes on the screen of his TV and did nothing else but eat, watch, go to the loo, fell asleep at some point and then went about watching some random cartoon on the screen.

Ezra was more than welcome to stare at his son and endure the cold treatment, and Hunter would only nod, shrug or shake his head.

The only person Hunter would talk to was Alice and Stacie.

His father could go to hell; Hunter thought that probably he would be there, too, considering how much hatred he now felt for Snape.

Considering that he now refferred to him as Snape, that was saying something.

'Bollocks. I would welcome the old bat with open arms among the flames,' Hunter thought as, once more, he opemed the door to his room, descending down the stairs.

"About time you went down, Hunter," Hunter felt his blood boil as he heard Snape call to him. The bloody bat. He did not leave! How dare he trick and corner Hunter!

"Well," Hunter was proud of how deadpanned and spiteful he sounded, "I cannot stay there for the rest of my life, you know. I have to eat."

Again, the old git sighed. It was at that point that Hunter could hint the tiredness and the hurt in Snape, but he brushed the empathy away. Snape did not care if Hunter would feel bad about Sirius dying or not, did he? Despite the fact that he knew how important Sirius was to him, no matter if his godfather remembered him or not. So why grace the old bat with courtesy when he obviously did not care enough for Hunter's emotions?

"I know that, Hunter. Look, I'm sorry. I really am. You have to hear me out. You should at least--"

Hunter turned sharply at that, giving the father he admired but now loathed to the core of his being a spiteful glare, "I will not be ordered by you! You want me to hear you out?" Hunter gave off a scoff, "Are you hearing yourself? You want me to listen to the git who hated my godfather enough to want him dead?"

Ezra glared back at his retort and answered calmy but dangerously, "Yes. I did hate Black. But I most certainly do not wish him dead. I do not want anyone to die! Do  you think so low of me?!"

Hunter only shrugged, turned and attempted to reach the cupboard, when Ezra wheeled towards him and grabbed his arm harshly. Hunter tried to yank his arm away, but Ezra always had a strong grip.

Forcefully, Ezra pulled Hunter towards him, trying to make Hunter look at him, but the more he tried, the more Hunter fought back. Annoyed, he dragged Hunter, caught him by the back of head, and finally had Hunter's green eyes bore into him.