So, I had this written up for a while, but lacked the motivation to edit and post this. On this plus side, this chapter alone (A/N excluded) is 2.2k words, which is quite a bit longer than usual. So enjoy~
Thanks to Featherpen1800, Jostanos and Yoruko Rhapsodos (always nice to see a new reviewer)for reviewing~
Chapter Eleven - Anomaly
Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal.
~Arthur Schopenhauer
Harry waited out the rest of the week, quietly observing the brothers and finding no explanation for the odd behaviour by everyone- whether it was odd politeness, a willingness to overlook faults, something close to worship or, in Winry's case, an inexplicable urge to throw solid metallic tools at their heads with unerring accuracy. It was by this time that he came to the conclusion that everyone, excluding Winry, seemed to be nearly scared of the two.
He'd dismissed the notion at first, unable to believe that grown adults would be scared of two under-ten boys; their own students. But he was quickly finding that other alternatives were near non-existent.
It was a week later that he mentioned the Elric brothers to Winry, in a small side throw-away comment about how they were always together, yet alone. He hadn't meant for her to take him seriously, hadn't even really meant to say it out loud, but what was said could not be unsaid. Unfortunately.
Winry dragged him along as she walked home with the Elrics that afternoon, which would have been bearable if they'd had any topics to talk about. As it was, the walk was painfully strained, with Alphonse and Winry making small talk- comments about the weather, assignments (Alphonse, Harry learned, actually bothered to pay some semblance of attention in class), while Edward walked along the 3-foot rock ledges alongside the path.
It was only when the reached an worn stone bridge that Ed spoke. "Oka-san's making stew tonight. You can come over, if you want."
His voice is open, friendly, if not rather brash and somewhat blunt, but Harry appreciates the gesture anyway- because it's the first time he's ever been invited to someone's home, excluding the adoption period.
He hadn't expected Winry to immediately accept on his behalf, but she did anyway, almost as . The brothers didn't seem surprised either- he had a feeling that they would have been more surprised if she'd declined, and figured that, since they appeared to be close, this sort of thing happened all the time.
It didn't change the fact that Ed had been looking at him when he'd offered though. He rather thought that it was the first time someone his age had approached him without ulterior motives; it was different from the kids back at his old school, who'd approach him in order to lure away Dudley's wrath, and different from Winry, who'd pitied him and only really approached because her parents had requested it; he had been able to tell that he wasn't the reason for her hanging around him.
This was different. And Harry rather thought that he liked the change.
So he wasn't really upset- not when Winry dragged him through his wardrobe (which held more clothes than he'd previously seen before the last few months), or when his shoe fell off and he nearly twisted his ankle running across to Ed and Al's house. Even the twinge of jealously as Trisha Elric spoke to Winry and her sons was muted. Which was just as well, as she turned to him a moment later, offering a wide smile and outstretched hand in welcome.
He found out much more about Edward Elric that night than he had the past week. He learned that he: hated milk, spoiled his younger brother, possibly had a brother complex, hadn't seen his father in years and had a soft spot for cute animals which, while not exactly hidden, wasn't regularly revealed either. It was intriguing to say the least, but also gave him an approachable side- and Harry personally found the kitten Alphonse had adopted adorable as well.
He was, he reasoned, well on the way to becoming friends with the blond enigma, if they were not that already.
The next day, and throughout the next week, Harry found himself recipient to smiles, waves and even the occasional 'Hello' from the two brothers. He also found himself wandering down to their spot in the shade more and more often during breaks, sometimes walking down with Edward, who was conveniently placed in all of his classes.
His increased exposure to the Elric brothers also brought about a number of unforeseen side effects, all of which were positive so far as he could tell. The new exchange students began to converse with him and the school, oddly enough, began to think of him as approachable- the very thing that he'd only recently begun to think of the Elrics.
More and more often, Harry found himself spending time with the Elrics, Winry and in particular one exchange student who had previously been privately tutored and had never properly developed social skills. Harry had always been far to busy avoiding Dudley to develop them- not that most of the people had wanted to risk being sighted with him in any case.
Saiph Hokoda was a small, petite thing with fair skin, flowing, long white tresses and aqua-green eyes. Her mother had served in the army as a corporal before she had been killed in action during a riot. Following that, her father had decided to move out into the country, which was regarded as considerably safer. He'd only seen the man once, but had concluded that they were almost nothing alike. Her father was tall and lanky, sharp brown eyes set in tanned skin with an almost shifty demeanour. Saiph, while not exactly outwardly welcoming, was at least straightforward with a careful air of innocence to her.
A whirl of white drew his attention to the scene; Saiph walking away from a group of girls with an arrogant, almost haughty flare in her step. 'She's bitter too', he noted mentally. Admittedly, it was reasonable bitterness - while not nobility, she was close to it, and had the financial backing as well; financial backing that the rest of them lacked or did not possess so much of.
Whether it was because she could feel his gaze, or if she was merely glancing around, she noticed him and walked over; a brisk and confident pace unusual for a seven-year old. Her eyes raked his face, examined his posture and shifted to take note of any action. For an instant, he wondered just what kind of training she had through, to analyse him so thoroughly when he hadn't even done anything against her.
"Harry," she acknowledged, "how's your day been?"
It was an attempt at starting a conversation, no matter how feeble. Even to him, it was obvious that she was holding herself back from asking something, but he indulged her anyway, replying and asking her likewise. He fell into step with her as she seemed to wander almost aimlessly, drifting around until she reached the large field at the back of the school. The sun scorched down on them, and she headed for the only shade not crowded by masses of people; the large fig tree.
He understood now, perfectly in fact. Saiph Hokoda, just like all of the other students, was curious about the Edward and Alphonse Elric. In all honesty, he couldn't find it in himself to be surprised, having been exposed to everyone's curiosity ever since he had visited the Elrics for dinner. Not, mind you, that he regretted doing so. Just that he'd hoped that the school might see him as more than just another method to get close to the Elric brothers- he was sure that they did in actuality, despite often (accidentally he was sure) seeming to talk to him with the sole intent of being introduced to Ed- it was usually the elder of the two. With a grin that's only the slightest bit strained, he leaps forward with a new spring in his step as if about to show them off to her, before calling out to them with a wave thrown in. The lunch passes pleasantly enough, with them chatting about meaningless things, like who's wearing what, or which teacher did what wrong. It's fun; it really it, but it still seems rather hollow to Harry, like it's missing something, like he still doesn't belong.
It was though, just a bit disappointing that they didn't really see him as more than just a means to a goal; meeting the Elrics. During the week that he'd been there, nearly everyone had come trailing down to the old fig tree, presenting some old, broken (and more often then not, dusty) relic with the plea to 'fix it'. The numbers of people who possessed such items were astounding, though if he was to be honest, not quite so much as how the brothers fixed it.
A hastily-drawn circle, though perfectly shaped, in chalk, crayon or charcoal that was then filled in with squares, triangles and yet more circles then (somehow), a flash of blue light that crackled around the circle light like blue lightning for mere seconds before receding to reveal the object, fixed.
It was, he was sure, magic. He was facinated by it himself, so it was hardly fair to blame everyone for wishing to see it in action too. Over the week, he found himself picking up titbits of information about alchemy- it's name was one of the first things he learned, from conversations going on around him during class, lunch and home-time.
It was a given fact that everyone hung around the Elrics, not only to get their objects repaired, but also to see Alchemy in action. He'd caught Saiph, peeking out from behind the tree, several times already over the past week, a fact of which he was somewhat proud as no-one else had caught her even once- which he didn't get really since her white hair should have been quite obvious against the darker background. Should have being the main point; somehow even he had a hard time spotting her as she blended in as she stood there motionless, just observing. Always observing, her eyes taking in every detail, as if recording the situation. But only ever regarding the Elrics, or him.
Everyone else seemed to slip below her attention, as if they were unimportant. He personally didn't like her attitude but, outside of Winry and Edward and Alphonse, she was probably the closest thing he had to a friend. And he rather felt that he needed every friend he could get right now- selfishness aside; but on the rare days that the Elrics were away and Winry with her own friends he found himself wandering the grounds, just aimlessly drifting- something far too similar to what he had used to do, back when he'd still been living with Dudley, for comfort.
It's the reason why, that lunch, instead of drifting like he usually does, he goes to sit with Saiph - who apparently sits along too, if the empty space around her is anything to go by. It's slightly awkward, if only they don't know the slightest thing about each other that differentiates them from everyone else, but manageable despite the silence.
That lunch, just five minutes in, Harry discovers that the reason Saiph doesn't talk much isn't because she's shy, but rather because she doesn't enjoy it; because she finds the conversations dull and unnecessary. As such, their list of conversation topics is rather short, exasperatingly so, and are quickly exhausted and soon, when they do speak, it's not so much trying to tailor their conversation to a topic so much as trying to avoid topics. Like family.
It's a bit of a relief for Harry, both because he still has the remnants of a stutter that returns when he talks about Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and since Urey and Sara have asked him to try and deflect questions about his less-than-friendly relatives. He also hasn't the slightest idea what to say to express sincere consolations for the loss of her mother- not that she seemed to need it, but you could never tell with just appearances- never having them expressed to himself.
The weather is pleasant; light, fluffy white clouds drifting contentedly across an azure sky, but not particularly interesting. That topic of conversation lasts them only 30 seconds. Personal interests don't last that long either; Saiph likes to read and think in her spare time and Harry's done quite enough of that for one lifetime, thank-you-very-much. In the end, by the time the second-half bell's rung, they're on the last topic left to them; the crackly blue magic the Elrics weave, trapped, always trapped, in the chalk circles they draw.
Thankfully, it's a topic that easily lasts them the rest of the lunch period as they recount past fixing they've seen performed; antique clocks and ancient-looking heirlooms, snapped necklaces, ripped books, cracked rings, ink-stained textbooks, cracked cups and late-night homework tasks that had been jolted one too many times on the way to school.
But it's only seconds after the bell rung that Harry is surprised by what she says;
"It'd be so cool if they would teach us it."
That simple sentence, not surprising so much due to the content, but rather of what it implied, and the ideas, startles him because he'd always regarded the skill as magic, something superior and untouchable, beyond the realm of human ability. But now that the thought's been opened to him, he knows perfectly what he wants to do.
And so, that day, after class has ended and as they're walking home, he asks it, right as they reach the old, worn stone bridge where Edward first invited him over for dinner.
"Hey, can you teach me Alchemy?"
Sigh~~ Been a while since I've watched FMA, I'm forgetting parts of how Ed acts/speaks ;P
And my new-found obsession (at the time of writing this anyway), with Code Geass is showing itself here; just look at how Ed's acting (concerning class)! And is it just me or is Winry partially assimilating Milly's role? Ed and Al's relationship is somewhat similar to Lelouch and Nunnally's no? And Winry/Milly, who loves to tease/torture Ed/Lelouch but leaves Al/Nunnally alone.
Don't you hate how, when you have something really important you have to get done, and you can think of fifty-thousand other things that you would rather do to procrastinate, but once you've finished what you were putting off (yes, that aforementioned really important thing) you suddenly can't think of anything else to do? Yes- the majority of this chapter was written when I had a science assignment due the next week (with 3 marks allotted for 2000 words of information, which I feel to be majorly un-fair).
Oh, I've started using PageFour for writing and it is heaven. How the heck did I manage without it before? (oh yeah, with persistence, frustration, procrastination and... slowification?)
For Saiph (who's served about a quarter of her purpose in this chapter alone), think of her as Fate/Stay Night's Illyasviel von Einzbern only with an eye-colour of a cross between lime green and aqua.
Next chapter: Harry's learning alchemy, Draco's bored and the Malfoys are bewildered.