DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!
Chapter Twelve
When Ed got up to Gryffindor tower, he went straight towards the sixth year boys' dormitory. He went to his bed and sat down on it. Ed didn't know whether or not Al was asleep but decided to leave his brother alone. As Ed took his shoes off, Dean and Seamus came into the dormitory.
"Looks like you've got an admirer, Ed," Seamus remarked.
"Ugh, don't remind me," Ed muttered.
"So, is that really your Fuhrer's son?" Dean asked.
"Unfortunately," Ed muttered again.
"Be careful, Ed," Seamus joked. "You need to be nice to him if you want to stay in the military back home."
"The only way I'll stay in the military is if it stops being a dictatorship," Ed said.
"Then why did you join in the first place?" Seamus asked.
"It's probably because of your arm and leg, isn't it?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," Ed mumbled.
"How did you get them back?" Dean asked. "Some sort of magic from the Department of Mysteries?"
"Something like that," Ed answered.
Ed got dressed into his pajamas and went to bed after bidding Dean and Seamus a good night. The next morning, Ed woke up and got dressed and put his hair into a braid. Then Ed got his school bag ready and went down to the common room where he saw Winry talking to Hermione and Ginny. To his displeasure, he saw Selim waiting for him at the portrait hole. Ed groaned.
'Just great,' Ed thought. 'Wonderful…NOT!'
Ed went to Winry, Ginny, and Hermione. Ed put a hand on Winry's back.
"Edward!" Winry exclaimed. "You startled me!"
"Have you seen Al?" Ed asked.
"He's already at breakfast," Winry answered. "He said that he wanted to see if he could talk to your dad."
"Oh," Ed replied.
"Is everything all right with you two?" Hermione asked. "He seemed awfully distraught last night. He was so rude."
"He didn't get enough sleep the other night," Ed lied. "Well, see you."
"Ed, I'll go with you," Winry spoke up.
"Nah, I'll be fine," Ed wove off. "You do girl talk or whatever."
It was then that Ed noticed Winry wearing the earrings he had gotten for her among her other earrings.
"Why the hell didn't you just switch out your other earrings instead of making new piercings?" Ed demanded.
"Because I didn't want to switch them out!" Winry explained. "I want to wear all the earrings that you give to me!"
"What if I got you twelve different pairs?!" Ed asked. "Would you make more holes in your ears?! Or would you try to find other places?! You would look more like a tramp than sexy!"
Then Winry hit him over the head with a wrench and they started arguing. Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes and decided to leave so they could let Ed and Winry argue. Then Winry started to take her earrings out of her ears.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ed asked.
"Taking my earrings out," Winry answered, sniffling, "since you say that I look ugly with all of these in."
Ed sighed.
"I didn't say you looked ugly, Winry," Ed sighed. "Stop taking your earrings out, all right?"
Winry didn't listen. She took out all of her earrings and then put in the earrings that Ed had given her on the last day of the summer holiday.
"You didn't have to do that," Ed said softly.
"I wanted to," Winry said, taking hold of one of Ed's hands and putting her earrings in the hand. "Here, I want you to hang on to these."
"Why?" Ed asked. "Can't you hang on to them?"
"I want you to," Winry insisted. "I trust you with them better than myself."
"All right," Ed replied. "I'm -"
Winry cut him off by kissing him on the lips. Then she left through the portrait hole. Ed blinked and magically made a pouch for the earrings and then put the earrings into the pouch and put the pouch into his pocket. Then Ed went to the portrait hole where Selim was waiting for him.
"That was some argument, Mr. Ed," Selim observed. "I haven't heard so many swear words before!"
"Yeah, well, don't tell your dad or he'll kill me," Ed instructed.
"Don't worry, I won't tell him!" Selim promised.
They went through the portrait hole and went down to the Great Hall where he saw Winry sitting with Al. Ed sat down with them as did Selim. Al's happy face instantly turned into a scowl.
"So, Al," Ed started, getting himself some breakfast, "did you talk to the bastard?"
"Yeah," Al answered, putting on a false cheery appearance, "he said that he's glad he finally answered Professor Dumbledore's owl to come to Hogwarts."
"Did he say why he chose now to come back?" Ed asked.
"He said that he just wanted to see you graduate," Al answered. "And then I told him that he'd have to be here two years since this is both of our sixth year. I told him what happened and he said that he wasn't surprised. He said he's hoping we take his class."
"Are you going to take his class?" Winry asked.
"I am," Al replied.
"I'm not," Ed grumbled. "I already know all I need to know about Alchemy."
"Please, Ed?" Al asked. "Will you, please, take his class with me? I don't want him to be upset."
"It'll serve him right," Ed muttered.
"Just give him a chance, Edward," Winry reasoned.
"Why?" Ed asked.
"Because he's your father," Winry pointed out. "And he deserves a second chance."
"What he deserves is a punch to the face," Ed grumbled.
"You will not punch your father," Winry ordered.
"What will you do if I do punch that asshole?" Ed asked.
"Kick your ass," Winry answered.
Ed scowled.
"Ed, he's your father," Winry implored.
"He lost that right the minute he stepped out," Ed retorted. "I'm NOT giving that jackass a chance."
"You will if I decide to invite him to the wedding!" Winry shouted.
Ed growled. Just then, they were joined by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"I see you're in a better mood, Alphonse," Hermione observed. "Did you catch up on your sleep enough?"
"Yup!" Al answered cheerily. "I'm just excited to take Dad's class!"
"I wonder how he'll be as a teacher," Ron wondered as he looked up at the staff table.
Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, Winry, and Selim looked at the staff table as well. Hohenheim was in a deep discussion with Dumbledore and Snape. McGonagall chose that time to descend upon Ed, Al, Winry, Selim, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. McGonagall gave Winry her schedule. Then McGonagall looked at Selim.
"Mr. Bradley, don't expect the professors to go easy on you just because you're the son of Fuhrer Bradley," McGonagall instructed, as she gave Selim his schedule.
"Don't worry, Professor," Selim promised, "I won't. I know they're really hard on Mr. Ed, and I won't take it personally! Being hard on is the only way I'll grow up to be great just like Mr. Ed!"
Selim then skipped off to his first class. Al let out a small sigh of relief.
"Weirdo kid," Ed muttered.
"Edward, stop it!" Winry scolded.
Ed shrugged. Then, McGonagall then turned to Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"So, 'Mr. Ed', since you've gotten all 'O's on your O.W.L. exams, do you want to take all of the classes?" McGonagall asked, looking at Ed.
"Hm…," Ed considered. "I don't want History of Magic or Astronomy or Divination. I don't think I could put up with that high-and-mighty acting horse dude Freezer."
McGonagall frowned.
"Firenze is a centaur," McGonagall corrected. "And it is Professor Trelawney who is teaching the sixth years."
"I still don't care," Ed replied.
"Will you be taking Professor Hohenheim's class?" McGonagall asked.
Ed groaned.
"I suppose I have to or else Al and Winry will gang up on me," Ed grumbled.
"You know it, Ed," Winry confirmed.
McGonagall smirked.
"What about Care of Magical Creatures?" McGonagall asked.
"Of course I'll be takin' it," Ed answered.
McGonagall then tapped an empty schedule and gave it to Ed. She turned to Al.
"Same classes as Brother," Al said before McGonagall could open her mouth to say anything.
"Are you sure?" McGonagall asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Al replied.
McGonagall sighed as she tapped another empty schedule and handed it to Al.
"Come on, Al, Winry, let's go to the common room," Ed suggested.
"All right," Al replied.
"Okay," Winry agreed.
Then the three of them got up and went up to Gryffindor Tower and then into the common room. When in the common room, they saw that it was almost empty except for a half dozen seventh years, including the Quidditch Chaser Katie Bell. Ed, Al, and Winry were approached by Katie Bell.
"Hello, Edward, Alphonse, Winry," Katie greeted.
"Hey," Ed greeted.
"Hi, Katie!" Winry greeted.
"Hi," Al greeted. "How was your summer?"
"It was pretty well, granted with what's happening now," Katie answered. "How was yours?"
"Pretty fun," Al answered.
Ed and Winry then went to a table while Al talked more with Katie.
"You should think of trying out for Chaser," Katie suggested. "You have the right build for a Chaser."
"You think so?" Al asked. "I haven't even flown a broom before."
"It's not very difficult," Katie assured. "Didn't one of the Weasleys ever try to teach you to fly?"
"Not really," Al answered. "They offered, but they never really pushed it."
"Well, the feeling's great when on a broom," Katie said. "You can practice on the school brooms."
"But Harry will just pick other people for the positions," Al mumbled.
"Don't let that discourage you, all right?" Katie said. "You need to try things. You only get to live once."
Al nodded.
"Sign up," Katie said. "No harm in trying."
"Okay, I'll think about it," Al said.
"Don't think about it, sign up," Katie urged, putting a hand on Al's shoulder. "You won't regret it. Even if you don't make it, at least you tried it. Right?"
"Right," Al agreed, blushing.
"See you," Katie said.
"See you," Al said.
Then Al watched as Katie went to Ron and Harry. Al then went over to sit with Ed and Winry. Ed was grinning from ear to ear.
"What?" Al asked.
"When's the wedding?" Ed grinned.
Al glared at Ed for a moment.
"Very funny, Ed," Al said.
"Come on, Al," Winry said. "Ed isn't trying to be mean. Besides, it's about time you've found a girl for yourself."
"Winry, she just said that I should try out for Quidditch," Al pointed out, blushing. "She said that -"
"Is there something going on between you and Katie, Al?" Harry asked, as he and Ron sat down at the table.
"No, we were just talking," Al replied.
"Are you going to try out for Chaser?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Al answered. "Probably not."
"You should give it a shot, Al," Winry encouraged. "Who knows, maybe you'll be a great Chaser."
