As promised, I'm back guys ! How are you ? I hope you all had a great day, and I wish you a pretty merry Christmas 3

I already got like three reviews on the prologue which is far more than I would have imagined for just this little bit of story, so I really can't thank you enough for this. I'm really grateful guys, and I can't thank enough everyone that reviewed, favorited and followed my story. I love you, I hope you won't be disappointed :)

Without further comments, here goes nothing. Where did Edward end up after all of this ?

Disclaimer : As I already said, I own nor Harry Potter nor Fullmetal Alchemist.

TO FIND A WAY BACK

Chapter One

Of Memories and Pain

It felt like falling from the highest point in Amestris. Falling again and again without ever touching the ground. Maybe this was what flying felt like in that case. But Edward didn't have any control on it and could only watch as he descended toward the ground without finding it. In this never ending fall, he couldn't help but think. Think and let dark thoughts creep in his head like spiders would. How could things have gone wrong so quickly ? Had he really tried to avert the Equivalent Exchange ? Would Alphonse be okay ? Was everything his fault ? He didn't have any answers but kept asking himself anyway. It was without finality, but hey it wasn't like he had anything else to do. And he knew deep down that he had fucked up somehow.

After some time, the white turn surrounding him turned to a pale grey, and he felt cold and humidity creep in his bones. Ground finally appeared, far away from him, a ground made of brown trees and a sad grey little city. This was it, his last stop. He was quite perplexed as to how he was supposed to survive this fall – killing him just yet wouldn't be funny for the other bastard after all – but couldn't bring himself to really care. He was all alone, and so very tired... There wasn't a thought that could bypass this reality as he kept falling closer to the ground..

Too soon, the trees came into view and he crashed fiercely into them. Somehow, his leg's injury seemed to have reopened at one time and his already badly injured body began to roar again with pain. His bones screeched while arms, leg and back became entangled in a chaos of flesh and shocks. His whole body get recovered in scratches against thorns and barks which collided into him. As if they were in vain trying to prevent him from falling. Pain and more pain was all he felt for several minutes, landing from one tree to another before they finally make place to ground and Edward slammed into it hard and rough, in a noise of shattered bones. All breath left his lungs and he started to hiccup desperately, the air sorely failing him. That was it. Black little dots were now invading his sight, recovering dark leaves and sky. A grey and dull sky, shadowed by sad brown leaves.

In a last surge of consciousness, Edward mourned for this sky. He had hoped for a lighter blue sky, like those that overhung his house in Reesembool. Just one last time... Because in face of such pain, he knew that Truth had missed. He wouldn't survive.

Nevertheless the sky remain grey, deaf to his silent pleas, and soft unconsciousness wrapped around him as he closed his eyes.

o

OoO

o

The forest today seemed to quiet and dead for anyone's liking. It was actually middle summer, but the whole place looked gloomy and dark because the sun didn't deem useful to go out this day. Overall, the woods weren't really likeable at the moment, and the local citizens didn't dare coming searching for mushrooms or nuts when the weather was only suitable for one thing : catching a cold.

It sort of made sense in the end for Remus Lupin to be the only human being walking in the woods on that day, evolving with the look of the regular customer of the place. But like any other, the stillness of the woods and the bad weather wasn't doing any wonder to his already sad mood. He was treading through trees and bushes, his quiet steps barely making sounds on the dry ground, between dead leaves and moss. His shoulders were slumped and his face way too old and tired for his only 31 years, but the aftermaths of the full moon were still taking a toll on him even days after. He was barely well enough now to inspect how the forest was faring after his last transformation.

A tired sigh escaped his lips, and his brows furrowed in a frown. Things hadn't gone well for him lately, and his horrible transformations every full moon were just another problem adding to the batch. He had no one to look after him and make sure he didn't hurt anyone. He had no friends left for this; 2 were dead and the last one was rotting in Azkaban. Plus, he didn't want to be a burden for his father after his mother's death, which meant that he had to take care of everything himself. No need to say it was proving difficult. He could still hide in the woods in times of bad weather like those, after having knocked himself out cold with all the sleep pills he had, but Remus knew perfectly well that it was nothing short of temporary. Too soon, he would have to find something else, or leave the little house he had found for one even more far away. Maybe would he eventually live in a small hut lost in the middle of nowhere, who knows ? A light and fake laughter shook him for a few seconds before discouragement came back, hanging on him as spiders to a ceiling. He had lived a dream for some of his teenage years but could only suppose that he was now back in the life those like him deserved. A difficult and lonely life, with no one to come home to and sometimes no home at all.

Certainly his thoughts would have taken an even darker turn if it wasn't for the harsh crack that echoed in the forest. Remus felt himself be ripped from his thinking and took a look around, blearily searching for the source of the sound. More rude noises reached his ears and he shook himself before starting to seek through his surroundings the culprit of the noise. He still was a Gryffindor and damn the Sorting Hat if he wasn't going to see what was happening.

Following the sounds wasn't that difficult as whatever was crashing into trees -he recognized the sound of cracking branches for what it was- wasn't finished.

All too quickly, the sounds faded with a last violent one. But Remus wasn't that far away anymore and he could see in the trees the path of broken and shattered wood. The wizard made his way through the bushes to enter a clearing and his eyes searched frantically for the unfortunate animal responsible of the noise. What he found instead was none other than the broken form of a child on the ground, as still as a dead.

Lupin's eyes widened with alarm and he scrambled closer to the injured kid with a bit of swearing.

« Oh god ! Are you okay there ? No, of course not. My... how did you even ended up here ? »

Remus hurried to check the state of the young blond, quite distressed by the sight of his injuries. The boy couldn't be older than Lily and James' song for god's sake ! And still he was sporting some injuries that himself had never seen on others than Mad-Eye. Remus cringed a bit at this thought, hating that such a thing was even possible, before getting himself to work. The child had certainly several broken bones in both arms after such a fall. And for his legs... Remus wanted to throw up at the sight of the missing leg. That... That just wasn't normal. What could have happened to the child to put him in this state ? The werewolf felt some bile rising up his throat and had to swallow back the horrible taste, fighting to get back some semblance of calm. No matter what had brought him here, this boy needed help now. He really was in a pretty bad shape... But was thankfully still breathing. Well, maybe not for long if his injuries weren't treated as soon as possible. He was growing paler by the second and had lost so much blood already that the ground looked red.

Apparating was out of the question, the child wouldn't survive it. Remus would have to take him to his house so that he even had a chance to live. And then... call a Healer, no matter that he wanted to be left alone. First of all though, he had to take care of the mass that was this missing leg or the blond kid would die in his arms one the way. With shaking hands but the bravery of a Gryffindor Lupin started to work fast. He emptied a bottle of water on both the injury and a piece of fabric which would serve as a temporary band and began to quickly wrap it around the remaining of the limb. As soon as it was out of the way, Remus wiped his forehead, still quite thrown off by the whole situation, and tried lifting up the boy. He didn't have any difficulty taking him in his arms, and that just alarmed him more. Remus was really out of shape, and even to him the child was really light. How did such a young boy end up with so nasty injuries ?

Lupin shook his head, claiming it as questions for later before quickly turning back home.

The road was more difficult on the way back as he tried to go as quickly as possible without risking dropping the boy, and when he finally saw his home, Remus could honestly say that he had never been happier to see the small cottage. He fumbled a bit with his keys, reluctant to put down the child, before throwing themselves inside as soon as the door opened.

The wizard immediately went for his bedroom to lay down the boy for the time being A bit of the pressure seemed to leave his shoulders at that moment and Remus exhaled a long sigh, trying to calm his fast beating heart. A quick look at the boy let him know that if the boy wasn't faring better, his state hadn't worsen... yet. But he knew that if he didn't call a healer, the boy wouldn't live to see the end of the night.

Remus took a minute to compose himself before taking out his wand. He had cut ties with the magical world after Sirius' betrayal, but a child's life was at stake now. And in such case... his state of mind didn't matter, he was back in the game.

The werewolf stopped a moment to gather a piece of happiness, a distant memory of school and four young boys without any stark details. He then swirled his wand in the air and launched the silver wolf at the window, watching him flying off in the sky. It seemed it was time to make a call to an old friend...

o

OoO

o

He felt burning hot as his body fought a losing battle against itself. His breath escaped in short little gaps and his whole body was shaking from the fever.

Edward felt dizzy and strangely out of energy. He clung to the moment with all his might but knew that his thoughts were failing him nonetheless. The same darkness was waiting at the gates of his mind, ready to wrap herself around him like a blanket for a long needed sleep. Though... Edward didn't have the impression that his situation had worsened since his last conscious moment, even if he could only comprehend bribes of his environment. It didn't make any sense since he should have died on the ground in the forest by any logic. But nevertheless, he knew that he wasn't losing as much blood as before 'cause his missing limb was wrapped up in a bandage. He also registered the softness of a bed, and the not so cold temperature as well, that both told him he wasn't in the woods anymore. Still, all those new data didn't really appease him.

'I know that I'm going to die...' He gasped yet another wheezing breath, his lungs apparently damaged by his condition, 'so why keep it going longer than necessary ? I'm... I'm all alone... I fucked up. I understand now...'

An acute sound of bell rang suddenly in the heavy silence of the place and Edward furrowed his brows when he heard two voices rise up, so muffled that he wasn't able to understand what they were saying. The noise eventually increased though, as the two owners of the voices approached him, but he still couldn't make any sense of their conversation. The words were meddling in an unknown language, and Ed could only find out that the voices were those of a woman and a man. Finally, a door squeaked as the two entered the room where he found himself -he supposed that it was a room, for there was a door and he was apparently on a bed- without stopping discussing between themselves. The man sounded... panicked, or at least really stressed, his voice rising or dropping from time to time while the woman appeared no less worried but managed to stay calm and express herself in a safe and stern tone.

It was only when they came closer and when he felt his pain lessened after some strange words from the woman that Edward finally understood. Those people were there to heal him. Save him. He wasn't going to die...

This thought was reassuring to a point, but also disheartening in its own way. The Truth succeed and brilliantly. It had without a doubt moved him... elsewhere, where nobody knew his language and far away from his little brother, just as according to their ''equivalent exchange'''. Edward felt tears of rage and frustration form behind his dropped eyelids. The Truth had won... and he had definitely lost.

With this realization his shoulders collapsed and his body seemed to sink deeper into the mattress. Around him, the voices were still discussing but the blond didn't care anymore. He had finally understood that by trying to get back what he had lost he just let himself be stripped of everything he had left. For a chance to see one more time his mother's smile, he had lost the constant presence of his brother and the certainty of Reesembool. Maybe even Amestris if this unknown language was anything to go by. He was absolutely and desperately alone.

His sole consolation was that if the Truth had managed to bring him here, then surely Al must have been brought back now. And in this case, maybe he wasn't needed anymore. He was sure his little brother would manage : he could go find Winry and the old Pinako if he had any problem. The blond knew they would take care of his lil' brother.

The darkness which was watching him seemed to finally get free from whatever temporarily restrained her, was it his worry for his brother or his pain now eased, and his thoughts slowly subsided as he fell into nothingness. The certainty that Al would do well even without him appeased him. He just wanted his little brother to be okay after all. 'Cos himself only knew how to fuck up.

o

OoO

o

Remus softly closed the door, listening as it clicked with this familiar sound of rusty latch. The child had gone back to sleep unhindered, and it was finally time to answer some questions. The werewolf put his hands on his neck, hoping to relax his tenses muscles while letting out a weary sigh. When his hand fell down slowly at his side, without having relieved him of any ache, he simply turned a tired look the to mediwizard he invited.

« So, what do you think ? »

The piercing eyes of Miriam Strout met his, her furrowed brows adding lines to her face. Mrs. Strout was usually a pleasant woman, patient and with a maternal side that quickly gave her a good job at St-Mungos. Remus didn't know her all that well, just that she studied at Hogwarts roughly in the same years as him, and that she was a talented healer. Which was all he cared for at the moment.

Now though, Miriam Strout didn't look at all like the sympathetic mother that all her patients described. Her usually smiling face drawn by seriousness and professionalism : the state of the unknown child found by Remus required far more speed and efficiency than kindness and soft words. After some seconds of thinking however, her drawn features seemed to finally loosen to display the soft worry she felt.

« I don't know Remus, but I must stay that this boy there is in quite a bad shape... He will live, that is for sure but will he recover ? It could take weeks or months, it depends entirely on him. And a bit on how you're going to manage this. »

Remus grimaced and wiped his face with his hand. He knew perfectly well what Miriam meant, but he didn't know either what to do. Sure, the child would be healed faster at St-Mungos than here, but he needed to know if he was a wizard to send him there. And the kid was currently too weak for anyone to establish if he was a muggle or not. They needed to wait for him to get better then, but how to heal him when Remus had barely enough to meet his own needs ?

« When do you think could he wake up in the best case ? We... We should ask him, whether he is a muggle or a wizard he must have a family able to provide for him... »

Mrs. Strout waved quickly her wand in the air, the list of all the injuries of the young blond seemingly scrolling in front of her eyes, and she wrinkled her nose before answering.

« Maybe... tomorrow or the day after. Though he is young, he seemed strong. But it doesn't really matter Remus, he can't be moved this soon. You do know Mad-Eye ? », she took a look at him before going back to her record,« even magic can't regrow a leg.

- But the choice isn't ours to make about his limb, it's his family's. I... He's not my responsibility. Sure I will take care of him until he's better but he's going to have to come back home some time. You know that I'm not really wealthy... » he concluded with a resigned sigh. « Talking about it, how much do I owe you already for the charms and potions ? » asked the Gryffindor while going down the stairs, one hand loosing up the wrinkles between his eyebrows.

A thin scoff echoed behind him and Remus turned to find Miriam looking at him with an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed on her chest. She actually released a little laugh before following him on the first floor.

« A potion of Replenishing-Blood to make up for all the blood he's lost, some Skele-Gro for his broken bones and a Sleeping Draught to help him get some sleep. Some jinxes and charms to get him back on his feet : Episkey, Ferula and Tergeo for a total of... No really Remus, you can't think that I'm actually going to make you pay ? Have you forgotten I'm not here officially ? Besides, I am a mother too », her face saddened and she shook her head, « no child should support such injuries... how can you dare even try to pay me for doing my job ? »

A tired smile stretched Remus' features in answer and he slowly nodded, grateful. And with yet another sigh he went collapsing on his shaky sofa, joining his hands in a silent pray. He fell on the backrest and closed his eyes in an attempt to absorb the situation.

« Of course, of course... Excuse me for doubting you Miriam.

- Humpf, apologies accepted. And if you really want to repay me, instead of opening your wallet, simply come to St-Mungos more often. » Here voice took a lower and more resigned tone. « A little bit of company would be good for Alice and Franck. Nobody visits anymore apart from their son after all this thing with Sirius Black. Your little squad disbanded, and this I can understand but.. they need to see some friends. »

If Lupin winced strongly when she mentioned Sirius -why didn't I see it coming, I was the one closer to him, I should't have been so blind, I was too damn trusting...-, he could only agree with Miriam who, without knowing, had just pinpointed their problem. With James and Lily's death, and Voldemort's disappearance, the Order of the Phoenix had dismantled and no one took time to visit the old friends anymore. Himself wasn't an exception. He withdrew himself from the wizarding world after the death of his friends, without thinking for one moment of those that remained from the conflict. Remus thought himself alone then, but maybe he isolated himself without knowing it ? A pained smile made his way on his face and he slowly reopened his eyes, turning them to Miriam to answer

« You're right again Miriam... I will think about visiting them soon. Thank you once again... but if you're not busy would you come back tomorrow ? I will call you as soon as the child is better and has woken up. You're much more qualified to define if he has a magic core than me... and if he is in any state to answer our questions, we will just have to send him back to his family. They must be worried sick for their son. »

OoO

This plan however, didn't hold up for long. And if Miram Strout did come back as asked the next day to confirm that their injured child was indeed a wizard, and as such allowed to go to St-Mungos, the shorty didn't wake up before three or four days later. Remus was once again walking in the forest when it happened, and it's only after coming back home that he got the pleasure to go check on the blond child, finding instead true shamble in the bedroom. The injured kid was on the floor, crawling and fighting against the blankets in which he was entangled. Remus' heart made a panicked leap in his chest and he immediately send a Patronus to Miriam, a wolf barely noticeable which disappeared through the windows. The dazed look of the child in front of the charm worried Remus who could only ask himself if the child was muggle-born on top of everything. And then, after a few seconds of puzzlement, the child started to scream again, his words apparently in a strange language unknown from Remus that sounded like French in a strange sort of way. He stood there for a moment, voiceless, wondering how a foreign and wizard child even ended up in his little Yorkshire's forest. Quite lost as to what to do, Remus cast a wobbling translation's charm that seemed to do the job as the panicked yells of the kid slowly began to make sense to him. But nothing prepared him for the words that crossed the lips of the short blond then, and nothing could have prepared him for the consequences :

« Hey I'm talking to you ! Where the hell am I ? Who're you ? What happened to me ? Why... », his voice seemed to shake lightly and he cut himself as he finally managed to free himself from the blankets in a big noise, falling against the ground. He closed his fist, his face taking a frustrated and quite afraid air. « Why do I got only one leg ? EXPLAIN ! What happened dammiiit... »

By walking in the woods a misty 18th June 1991, Remus Lupin had found a child even more injured than a wizard back from a fight against Death Eaters. If he of course found it strange and distressing, he also knew that the kid was only there for a short time, like a wounded to who you provide first aid before sending him to a true doctor. The said-child thought, who was yelling on the floor before his eyes, didn't seem to know what brought him here, with a missing limb and at the bridge of death. In the end, Remus Lupin only knew one thing : when he had seen the summer 1991 approaching, and with it the eleventh birthday of his best friends' son, he certainly didn't expect that his life would take such an unexpected turn.

Aaand that's it. Little Edward met good old Remus. Was it surprising or did you imagine all of this quite well ? I do hope this first chapter wasn't disappointing. Now I shall start on writing chapter two, I thankfully have time with the holidays (long needed holidays really, final year of highschool is a bitch in France.)

On this note, I wish you all good holidays, make the most of it ;) See you again soon !

PS : I had thought of putting song's lyrics at the beginning of each chapter but I completely forgot to do it on the prologue, and I hadn't yet chosen for this chapter sooo... I should put them sooner than later, and maybe jump on the bandwagon with chapter 2. We'll see. Luv !