Takes place during Alchemy: Tiny Steps, around February.

-.-

For whatever reason, Edward had made Severus take him out to Diagon Alley. The actual reason had to do with that horrible holiday called Valentine's Day. From what he was told, it a love filled holiday and he doesn't want anything to do with it. If memory serves him right, he was stuck in his room and grading homework… although it would explain the random gifts…

Either way, Edward wants out the moment he heard about love induced chocolates…. Yeah. Right now, he is debating if he should have holed himself in his room than being out and about. The alley is covered in pinks, whites, and reds. Couples walking about, hand in hand. People trying to sell items that will surely catch your lover's interest. Yada, yada and more yada.

'This is the worse holiday by far this place has to offer.' Edward mentally grumbled, he had lost track of Severus earlier and now is just wondering what he should do. He was about to enter a hole in a wall when he heard sniffles coming from an alleyway. Pausing momentarily, Edward looked around to see where the sniffle came from.

Sniffle…

Edward brow furrowed, he slowly moved towards the alleyway to figure out where it came from. It sounded like it came from a young child.

"Mommy..."

Edward looked around a giant trash can to find a nine-year-old crying into her knees. Dirty blonde hair that looked like it hasn't been combed for who knows how long, clothing looked dirtied and without even seeing her face, Edward could tell she is going through something major. "Kid... What happened?"

The girl looked up and only continued to sniffle, silvery eyes that shown the many tears she shed for who knows how long. "I saw mommy die."

"...Ah. Is your dad still around?"

"Yes…"

"Where is he? Do you want me to owl someone...? Did you run away? Where the hell is that guy?"

"I... I wanted to look for crekers flocks. They like to help the dead you know..."

"Oh? How about this, let me get you something to eat and tell me everything about these creatures? And I'll figure out a way to get in contact with your father?"

"Okay..."

-.-

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You don't know how much you've done. Little Luna just… it's been rough. She saw her mother, my late wife, died in front of her eyes in a potion's accident."

"No need to explain, Mr. Lovegood. Just... take care of her." Edward handed off a sleepy Luna Lovegood off to her father.

The man, lost in his own grief of losing his wife, lost track of his daughter when he had to set the funeral arrangements. He was about to gather a search party when Arthur Weasley used apparition to pop into his house and informed him that Edward Elric had found Luna. It didn't take long for both men to end up at the Leaky Calderon, where they found Mr. Elric forcing Professor Snape to pay for theirs and Luna's lunch.

By the end of the day, Xenopilius had managed to convince Edward for an interview for the Quibbler.

The young man still had no clue why the Potion Master snorted at the mention of the interview.