Epiphany (Jem)

Trevor crept into the house, taking his shoes off on the porch so as not to make any sort of noise to wake his drunken father who happened to be sleeping on the sofa. School had just let out on his first year at Hogwarts, and the young boy was smarter than he looked. He had been forced into this situation and knew it always made it worse if Father was woken from one of his naps. Trevor then crept over to the steps where he sat quietly awaiting the dragon to awake. His father was brutal when he first woke up, but Trevor had learned to take it without a fight, it only made it worse if he tried to defend himself. The boy had learned so many helpful things over the last 7 years of his life and he would apply it as much as he could. Don't come home for holidays; Listen to everything the man says and take it to heart; Never speak until you are spoken too; NEVER EVER TELL MOTHER. Trevor winced slightly as he heard the man stir on the couch. It was coming, Trevor was sure of it.

Jem groaned and rolled over on the couch. He put his hand on his head and cursed loudly at the ache. "Bloody hangover," he muttered, sitting up and grabbing the bottle of Firewhiskey on the table next to him. Catching sight of his good-for-nothing son, he growled a bit. "Boy!" he roared. "Get over here!" He didn't wait for the child to respond, instead heaving himself up and staggering over to the stairs. He put his hands on the rails and leaned over threateningly. "Home, are you?" he asked in a deadly quiet voice.

Trevor instantly jumped to his feet and went to run over to Father, but Father was already standing over him. Trevor coughed slightly at the heavy smell of firewhisky that radiated off Father's breath and merely nodded at the man's question, deciding speaking wasn't in the man's best interest. The boy then braced himself for whatever he was going to recieve

Jem scowled. And cursed at the boy, hitting him in the side of the head before kicking his legs out from under him. "Why couldn't they just keep you at that school?" he growled, punching him a few times. "Keep you there and leave me and Alice alone?" The man kicked his son in the ribs, venting his anger a bit more. "What's wrong boy, too scared to fight back?" After a few more blows, the man heard a crack and relized somewhere in the back of his hungover mind that he couldn't do too much damage without his wife noticing. He stumbled back off to the couch, taking a swig from the bottle.

Trevor felt the pain surging through him when he felt a crack in his side and heard it too and let out a cry of intense pain. He coughed up blood and crawled away from the steps. One of his ribs was broken. He could feel it. He dragged himself toward the front window and waited for mother to come home and make everything better. He was thinking the story that he would use through in his head. He would tell her he fell from the large tree in the front yard. She already believed he was clumsy so that just made it all easier

~A few hours later~
Jem woke up to the door closing quietly. Alice walked in and he sat up, smiling. "Hey love, you're home," he said, slurring a little. She looked at him with a bit of a hard look in he eyes. "And you're drunk. Again." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You should cut back Honey. Don't get a drink every hour." He pouted. "I'm trying," he lied. She sighed again and bent over to kiss his cheek. "Alright love. Where's Trevor?" Jem grunted and waved his hand in the general direction of the last place he'd seen the boy. She headed over while Jem glared at the boy around her back.

Trevor smiled weakly wheazing and waving to his mother with the hand that wasn't clutching his side.

"Hello mother" Trevor mumbled wiping blood from his mouth "how was work?" The boy tried to get to his feet but it hurt so bad he just decided to stay by the window. He kept the smile plastered to his face so as not to seem wounded in any way at all, but it hurt so bad

Alice looked at the boy with concern. "What happened to you Trevor? Did you fall down again?" Jem glared at the boy still. "That's right boy, you fell, didn't you?" he asked dangerously. He resented the attention Alice was giving the boy. He wanted her to only pay attention to him, not the good for nothing in the corner. He would pay the boy out again later.

Trevor nodded swiftly, knowing it would pay off for him in the end. His mother knew he wasn't much of a cryer, so crying wouldn't be nessessary to add here.

"Yeah, the big tree in the front yard, I was climbing it and my foot slipped on a branch maybe about 8 feet up and I fell on my side" Trevor mumbled in his usual tone.

Jem smirked evilly as he leaned back on the couch. He knew the boy would play along. He always did and he knew what lay in store if he didn't.

lice ran a hand through her hair, sighing tiredly. "You need to be more careful sweetheart, I don't want you getting hurt." She stroked the boy's hair, pulling her wand out and healing his rib. Jem's smirk faded into a scowl and he took another swig from the Firewhiskey.

"And you," said Alice, plucking the bottle from his hands, "Need to stop drinking for tonight. I'm going to start dinner." She walked away into the kitchen.

Jem staggered up and over to Trevor. "We're not done yet boy," he growled. "There's always more." Then he staggered off into the kitchen after his wife.

Trevor got to his feet and darted up the steps to his room after thanking his mother. His father's words echoed in his head. He pulled out his sketching book and began to draw. Shapes and shades appeared on the page as his charcoal pencil seemed to guide his hand across the parchment.