Was Evander trying to imply something when he said favors of that sort? Merlin, if this was going to turn into some sort of sex talk, Alfred would probably curl up and die beneath the dinner table. It was both inconceivable and dishearteningly easy to image: Evander obviously uncomfortable but trying to put on some sort of paternal air; Alfred reduced to staring at his plate and attempting to condense all the awkwardness he was feeling down into a bout of sudden, unexplained magic that would provide a distraction from the topic at hand. Spontaneous combustion, say.

He could have argued (without even lying) that he was hardly the sort to go soliciting favors from women. He could have defended himself. Or he could just ignore it, thereby reducing the risk that he'd have to actually talk explicitly about sex with his older brother. That was far preferable. In fact, he would have liked to have ignored everything Evander was saying, but he couldn't think of any valid excuse not to answer the direct question.

"She works at the Ministry," he mumbled in the direction of his potatoes.