Technically, this was supposed to be part of the previous chapter but I've made it my goal to keep the chapter lengths somewhat consistent, about 2.5K-3.5K per chapter. I had trouble trying to capture Ed's reaction to Diagon Alley and was tempted to jump to Roy and come back to it in a flashback but something came out eventually so hopefully it fits.
As someone pointed out on AO3, Ed should have hit his growth spurt by now. Sadly, I forgot about it while plotting and the fact that both Ed and Al are short for their age plays in later down the track. So sorry Ed.
Ed took a deep breath. He nearly choked from the utter cacosmia that filled his lungs - because of course it was a fucking brilliant idea to jam rotting plants and animal parts in a tiny unventilated space - but it stopped him from hurling the shitty book of complete nonsense out a grimy window.
An Essential Guide to the Introduction to Alchemy: 94th English edition was the book. It had a basic transmutation circle on its cover. It claimed to have been written by Nicolas Flamel himself. It even had handwriting that matched other Flamel texts he had read. However the text itself was the most inaccurate offensive blasphemy that would even piss off that bastard Truth. Alchemy may have its roots in the kitchen but that wasn't a connection to fucking magic potions.
But Ed was in an apothecary. A Truth damned store for 'magic potion ingredients'.
Fuck. Magic.
Ed read through the author's ramblings about transmuting gold for a third time - going on and on about how elusive the technique was like it wasn't a simple conversion of base metals. Alchemists didn't transmute gold was because it was 'hard' but because that would fuck up the economy. Either the author was completely nuts or the text had so many layers of code that it left it superficially incoherent. If it actually was written by Flamel, because Ed was seriously doubting its authorship, then the poor bastard must have been driven mad to be spouting this bullshit.
Ed combed through the book for a fourth and then fifth time. He searched for some sort of code within the nonsense, something that would make it somewhat coherent. It was a time wasting and fruitless endeavor at this point but was better than the alternative - accepting that magic was real.
Ed refused to believe it. Magic wasn't real.
Magic was a fool's explanation, an idiot's way out of understanding. Magic was the easy way of explaining the unexplainable. 'Magic' in most cases was some conman alchemist trying to make a quick buck in a rural country town.
But, what other explanation was there?
There had been no arrays hidden in the courtyard and no transmutation markings on the wall or the newly formed archway. Not to mention how the archway had returned to being a wall as soon as they had stepped through without a single touch. Ed, with a lifetime of study and several trips to the Gate behind him, knew alchemy couldn't do that - even with a Philosopher's Stone.
It wasn't alchemy, it would be fucking stupid to keep insisting at this point, but Ed sure as fuck wasn't going to admit that it was magic. Maybe that was what all the nutjobs here called it but there was no way he was going to settle with that.
Ed silently seethed in frustration. He was going to find out what exactly 'magic' was, one way or another.
There was a hand on his shoulder. Ed's instincts told him to grab the hand with his automail and fling whoever it was attached to across the room - because anyone who got that close generally wasn't friendly - but he didn't have automail anymore. What he did have was a freshly operated flesh shoulder that he aggravated with his sudden movement.
He dropped the book and swore, cradling his right shoulder with his left hand. Ed winced but was able to glance behind him.
It was just Snape, looking down at him from his hooked nose. He wasn't holding any bags, not even the groceries from the sane side of London, just Ed's suitcase.
"Bought nothing?" Ed asked, keeping any pain out of his voice. The last thing he needed was Snape thinking he couldn't handle a little pain.
"Whatever was need." Snape said vaguely. "Reshelve those books. I have a copy of them all at home, including the Alchemy one."
Ed had the decency to look sheepish. He had pulled literally every book out of the store's lone shelf and had them piled around his impromptu reading corner. From behind the counter, the wizened old storekeeper watched them closely. With only one hand, reshelving was going to take a while. If only books could put themselves away then life would so much more easier.
Ed placed his hand on the fallen alchemy book but it slipped out from under him. Ed could have caught himself but something flew over him.
A book.
One of the fucking books flew over him and Ed fell flat on his back.
It would have been easy to scramble back to his feet but the books kept flying over him, one after the other like birds. Minding his shoulder, Ed twisted onto his stomach to follow their path. It was pathetic with him sprawled on the floor but...but the books were flying from their piles back into the bookshelf like they were fucking homing pigeons.
Ed stumbled to his feet and turned around, expecting Snape or the storekeeper to have a stick out and ready to mock him. However, neither man had a stick and both looked...impressed?
"That was quite the display of non-verbal and wandless magic." the storekeeper said. "Especially for someone of your age."
"I did that?" Ed said in disbelief because...because there was no fucking way that could have been him. This had to be a joke or something. It had to be.
"Accidental magic, then? I've never seen it so controlled and concise. You'll grow to be a great wizard, young man."
"Not. A. Wizard." Ed gritted. "Alchemist."
That did nothing to dissuade the shopkeeper's mirth. "It's good to see young people taking interest in the old arts."
Ed was about to snap at the old coot because that book was wrong and alchemy was not magic but Snape walked in front of him, cutting him off as he made his way to exit. "We're leaving, there's still other places we have to be." He said curtly.
"Ah yes. Don't be a stranger and come by any time." the storekeeper called.
But Snape was half-way out of the store and Ed quickly followed behind.
While Snape's quick strides were annoying to keep up with in London, Ed gladly welcomed it as he tailed the man, hopefully, out of Diagon Alley.
Ed had come across many seemingly impossible things throughout his life and there had always been a logic, a truth, behind it. This 'magic' just needed some analysis, a good week or so with Al and a lot of books was all that was needed to understand it. Comprehension, Deconstruction, Reconstruction. Those steps could be applied to more things than just alchemy and that was how he was going to figure out what exactly 'magic' was.
Or the answer tries to kill him - whatever came first.
What Ed didn't need right now was more of this magic bullshit. He wouldn't deny the usefulness of samples for research but he was at his magic-tolerance limit. It was just too much to take in at once. Snape could do magic. Apparently he could do magic. If Ed ever needed samples, it could be done in a controlled environment without some idiot trying to bowl him over on a flying broomstick.
Sadly, this 'magical' shopping trip wasn't over yet.
Ed didn't see the name of the shop walking in but from all the stools and cloth it was a tailor's shop - with floating scissors and flying measuring tapes of fucking course. But clothes were something Ed wasn't going to pass up and he owed Al a coat.
Ed was stood on a stool at the back of the shop. Next to him was a little kid, a shaggy haired blond who looked about four. His father had stood up to greet Snape after he had finished talking with the seamstress. A friend or a guy who hated him but was keeping to niceties. Most likely the latter.
The two men stood too far away for Ed to catch what they were saying but their casualness was too forced for it to be any good.
"Hi." The kid said suddenly.
"Hey." Ed said.
"I'm...I'm…" the kid mumbled. He stopped, took a breath and puffed out his chest. Turning to look up at Ed's eyes he said, "I'm Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy." but then he dropped his head in a sudden bout of shyness, his previous confidence abandoned. "But just Scorpius is fine."
Heh. The kid reminded Ed of Al at that age. Back when Mom was alive, their stupid dad hadn't left and Ed was a shitty older brother.
Ed smiled, a gentle smile. Kids that always osculated between overconfidence and complete shyness. "Edward Curtis," he said without missing a beat with his alias. "But call me Ed."
Scorpius gave a bashful smile but stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ed."
"Nice to meet you too, Scorpius." And Ed took his hand in a firm shake.
Scorpius's smile grew brighter. "So you know Mr Snape?" he asked immediately.
Kids - always direct and straight to the point. Ed liked that. "He is taking care of me and my brother."
Scorpius lit up, any trace of previous shyness completely forgotten."You have a brother? What's his name? I've always wanted a brother or a sister. Is he older or younger? How many years between you? What's he like? Is he here somewhere?"
"His name is Alphonse, Al for short. He is a year younger than me. He is smart and kind. Protective too much sometimes." Al would like Scorpius. He liked being the older one whenever he got the chance. "He is not here right now. He is resting in the hospital."
And the kid's face fell just as quickly at the word 'hospital'. "Is he doing alright?"
Shit, that was what kids did - go from one emotion to another in a blink of an eye.
"Al is fine. He is - was, sick for a long time but he is getting better now." Ed quickly reassured.
But that didn't bring Scorpius mood back up.
"...Mum has to go to the hospital lots." the kid said finally. "She's always sick."
The seamstress threw a piece of fabric over Ed's head, a not so subtle way of getting him to shut up.
"Sorry dear, won't be a moment." She said but the tone of her voice said 'don't talk about it'.
So Ed kept his mouth shut and suffered through the forced awkward silence. At any indication that he might start talking to the kid again, the seamstress would stick a pin in his side like he didn't know how to avoid the topic of Scorpius's mother. There definitely was going to a mark from all those fucking pins.
Scorpius was finished while Ed had another fabric over his head. By the time a neck hole was cut, Scorpius was on the other side of the store with his father talking to another store attendant.
"Best you don't ask about that boy's mother." the seamstress said softly while sewing at the shoulder. "Mrs Malfoy hasn't been in the best of health and I doubt she'll be around for much longer."
Ed nodded silently. He remembered Mom bedridden for days. It wasn't going to be easy for the kid. At least his father was there.
"And your day robes are done!" the seamstress said more brightly as she pulled the finished clothes over Ed's head. She then handed Ed a worn catalogue. "Mr Snape said you can pick one article from the catalogue and one for your brother. Feel free to take your time dear."
That was nice of Snape. The bastard must be trying to get back into their good graces.
Ed flipped through the catalogue, trying not to let the changing colours and moving pictures get to him too badly. His inner scientist of fuming at the impossibilities because how the fuck did the pictured models move around and fucking jump to whatever page was open.
Then Ed grinned, all previous frustrations forgotten.
Maybe he was painting a giant target on his back. After all their effort in constructing their aliases, this could completely ruin it. But Al had told him about how shocked Snape and that bushy haired woman had been at a simple display of basic alchemy (once Ed had stopped yelling at him for performing alchemy while bedridden and you had done more with worse injuries Brother!). With that and the stupid book, alchemy here had to be set so far back to maybe it was mistaken for magic. The chances of them even knowing about the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' was close to zero.
But it would take just one person recognising them for everything to go to hell.
But Ed really wanted it...and Al did say he always wanted one too.
Ed waved one of the assistants over. Maybe the sleeve holes were a little big but the design was practically identical to his favourite coat.
"Two of this one. One this red and other this blue."
The assistant gave him an odd look. "You sure, kid? That part of Hogwarts uniform you know."
Ed nodded. Of course he knew, he could fucking read after all. The uniform part nearly turned him off but he was getting his coat back dammit. "Also can there be something? On red's back and blue's shoulder."
With the assistant's confirmation, Ed sketched out the flamel. If he was getting these coats, they might as well go all out. The assistant gave the design an odd look but still called the seamstress over.
"Red on gold. With a snake." Snape said when Ed waltzed over wearing his newly tailored coat while the assistant followed behind parcels containing the rest of the clothes.
"So what?" Ed snarked.
"I doubt he understands the irony professor." And there was Scorpius's father with the kid asleep in his arms. "The flamel, correct?"
"Alchemist?" Ed asked casually but mentally he was going fuck fuck fuck fuck.
The man gave a curt laugh. "I've only dabbled. 'Fixing the volatile'... an interesting choice…" 'Dabbled' he said but there were dozens of basic symbols to get through before the flamel was even mentioned... "but where are my manners. I'm Draco Malfoy, Scorpius's father. You left quite the impression on my son, Mr Curtis."
And though he had a cocky Mustang-esque smirk, Ed could see the dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles that made him look far older than he actually was.
"Just Ed or Edward is okay. You raised a good son. Take care of him."
Malfoy's expression became more forced. He knew that Ed knew. "I haven't failed yet." He said good-naturedly. "You're welcome to come visit with Professor Snape. As I said before, you left quite the impression on Scorpius. Your brother is welcome as well - once the muggles release him that is."
"That is...lots of trust Mr Malfoy." Ed said. He barely said anything to the kid and yet his father was so quick to open their home up to them.
"Well what can I say, it's not every day you meet a dedicated alchemist. After what Professor Snape has told me, I think that we will have quite the enlightening discussions."
Either Snape had loose lips or he had deeply trusted this man. Either way, Malfoy obviously wanted something, something alchemical. "You know alchemy, yes? You know the laws then, Mr Malfoy."
"Equivalent Exchange, correct?" Malfoy caught on quickly, quicker than anyone who would have just 'dabbled'. "Don't worry, Edward. I promise that I'll have something of equal trade."
Ed looked Malfoy directly in the eye, gold boring into silver. He saw more wrinkles and darker circles but he also saw the desperation deep in them. It was the desperation that ran phantom pains through his right arm and made his left leg ache.
"My language is not good but equal is not equivalent, Mr Malfoy."
That was Ed's warning and hopefully Malfoy would be smart enough to figure it out. Otherwise his son will be the one ultimately paying the toll.
