Chapter Thirty-Seven

The next day, Harry confided in Ed, Al, Ron, and Hermione in a task that Dumbledore had asked him to do, though he told Ron separate from Ed, Al, and Hermione since Hermione didn't want to be near Ron as Al didn't want to either. Ron thought that Harry would be able to do the task easily.

"Slughorn loves you, Harry," Ron assured over breakfast, waving an airy forkful of fried egg. "Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince. Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him for the memory."

Harry was waiting for Ed to chime in with his sarcasm, but then he remembered that Ed, Al, and Winry were sitting with Ginny and Hermione further down the table. When Harry had come out of Dumbledore's office the night before, he could hear Peeves screeching about how Mei Chan and Al loved each other. The news had spread so much that everyone had knew about a kiss that Mei had given to Al in front of Ravenclaw tower. When Ron teased Al about it by saying that Al was two-timing Katie Bell, Al had punched Ron. Harry sighed. He would just have to wait until he told Ed, Al, and Hermione. When he did, the latter had gloomier views.

"Harry, it sounds like Slughorn is trying to hide some deep shit," Ed said, as they stood in the deserted, snowy courtyard at break. "He's not going to just hand it over."

Harry and Hermione looked at Ed in shock.

"What?" Ed asked.

"You called Slughorn by his name!" Harry replied.

"Oh, that," Ed wove off. "I'll call him his other name later."

"Brother is right," Al cut in, saving Ed from any further questions from Harry and Hermione. "I don't believe Professor Slughorn is just going to hand you the memory."

"They're right, Harry," Hermione agreed. "Though…I've never heard of Horcruxes."

"You haven't?" Harry asked.

"They're very advanced Dark Magic," Ed answered. "It's nothing that is taught in a school like Hogwarts."

"How do you know about them then?" Hermione asked.

"We don't know much about them," Al replied. "We just know that they're something never to be messed with or created."

"You need to come up with a strategy when asking Bug for the memory, Harry, or else he will just clam up and throw you out of his favorites like a bad piece of meat," Ed cautioned. "Come on, Al, let's go."

Ed threw an arm around Al's shoulders and they both went up to the castle, Harry and Hermione looking after them as they did so.

"It's strange seeing Edward so happy," Hermione commented.

"Why do you say that, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Because Edward hardly lets his guard down," Hermione explained. "But I guess he lets his guard down around his family."

It was then when Harry remembered that the only times he saw Ed really laughing was when he was playing with Al and Winry in the snow or joking with Al or Winry or both.

When Ed and Al got into the entrance hall, they saw Mei waiting there for Al. Ed took his arm off of Al's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sir Alphonse, for any embarrassment that has come your way," Mei apologized, bowing in respect.

"Don't apologize, Mei," Al comforted, blushing slightly. "It was just a peck, and Peeves likes to do that to a lot of people."

"But I have caused you -," Mei started.

"Mei, it's all right," Al interrupted.

Mei sighed, looking down.

"Are you sure?" Mei asked.

"Yes, Mei, I am," Al reassured. "Now, you better get to class before you're late."

Mei beamed and then skipped off, her pigtails flying behind her.

"Cute girlfriend you got there," said a voice from behind Ed and Al.

Ed and Al screamed in fright, turning to see that it was…

"Greed, what are you doing here?!" Ed screamed.

"And she's not my girlfriend!" Al added.

Greed laughed.

"Whatever you say," Greed laughed.

"What are you doing here?" Ed repeated.

"Can't I just hang around to check things out?" Greed asked.

"You're Greed, Greed," Ed replied. "You always want something."

Greed laughed again while Ed rolled his eyes.

"You're right," Greed chuckled. "Here."

He gave a piece of folded paper to Ed.

"Another one?" Ed asked. "Can't Ling tell me himself?"

"No, that little freak is around," Greed replied.

"Since you're a homunculus, too, wouldn't that make you a freak as well?" Ed remarked.

Greed just laughed as he walked away. Ed and Al looked at each other with matching looks of exasperation. Just then, Hermione came stalking in. She stalked by Ed and Al, who had looked after her in confusion as they had heard her mutter something about boys being 'stupid prats.'

"Someone sure is bitchy," Ed muttered.

Al nodded in agreement. Then Ed grinned.

"Somebody has a crush on the new girl," Ed sing-sang.

"I do not!" Al denied, blushing.

Ed snickered.

"If you say so," Ed snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Al demanded.

"You'll have to tell Katie that you're gonna go out with the bean girl before doin' anything with her," Ed grinned.

Al's face went red.

"Brother, you're sick and impossible!" Al accused.

Ed just laughed and walked away.

"Invite me to the wedding, Al!" Ed joked.

"I'm going to get you, Ed!" Al threatened.

"You have to catch me first!" Ed dared.

Then Ed started running. Al growled but then ran after Ed. A few moments later, a laughing Ed ran by McGonagall.

"Mr. Elric, no running in the halls!" McGonagall scolded.

"Come back here, Brother, so I can kick your ass!" Al said, running past McGonagall a moment later.

McGonagall put her hands on her hips.

"Those boys," McGonagall muttered.

A few moments later, Ed and Al made it to the Gryffindor tower. Ed pulled Al into a loose choke hold and tried to ruffle his hair, but Al had thrown Ed over his shoulder and down onto the ground, making Ed yell in surprise which startled the Fat Lady.

"Now really!" the Fat Lady scolded.

"Al, you bastard," Ed groaned, ignoring the Fat Lady.

"I told you I'd kick your ass," Al reminded, helping Ed up to his feet.

"Yeah, but the floor is marble, for cryin' out loud!" Ed complained.

Al chuckled.

"I'm gonna get you back one of these days," Ed promised. "I've gotta start workin' out more. I'm getting flabby."

Then he and Al said the password and went into the common room where Winry was waiting for them with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What do you think you two were doing?" Winry asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ed lied, going around Winry to go to a table by the window. "Right, Al?"

"Er, right," Al lied, scooping up and holding Pegasus.

"IDIOT!" Winry yelled, throwing a wrench at the back of Ed's head and connecting.

"GYAHHH!" Ed yelled, turning to face Winry. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!"

"I DID THAT BECAUSE I HEARD YOU AND ALPHONSE WRESTLING OUT IN THE HALLWAY!" Winry yelled. "AND YOU LIED ABOUT IT!"

Everyone in the common room had stopped what they were doing to stare at the arguing couple.

"I ONLY LIED BECAUSE WE WERE JUST JOKING AROUND, YOU WITCH!" Ed retorted.

"AND YOU!" Winry turned on Al.

Al shrunk back.

"You wouldn't hit someone who's holding a defenseless cat, would you?" Al asked.

Winry looked at Pegasus.

"Pegasus, get down," Winry ordered.

Half-kneazle as Pegasus was, he knew that he should do as his master's future sister-in-law ordered of him. Pegasus jumped out of Al's arms and ran for it.

"Pegasus!" Al cried. "Come back! Eep!"

Winry had turned her wrench on him. She had hit him with her wrench and then stomped off out of the portrait hole, leaving a nonplussed group of people and growling Ed and groaning Al in the common room. A few moments later, everyone in the room who was watching went back to what they were doing before. Ed went over to Al and helped him up.

"Are you all right, Al?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Al replied. "Winry sure is in a bad mood today."

"When isn't she?" Ed muttered.

"Ahaha," Al chuckled. "You still love her for it though."

Ed blushed. Everyone in the room now peeked over at Ed and Al. Ed glared at them and they went back to work.

"Let's get our homework done," Ed suggested.

"But I thought you were going to drag it out?" Al asked.

"To hell with waiting, I'm bored," Ed brushed off.

Al shook his head, smiling. They got their homework from their trunks and went back to the common room and sat down at a table to work on it.

"Winry's probably pissed because I don't have auto-mail anymore," Ed muttered.

"Why do you say that, Ed?" Al asked.

"Because she can't gripe at me anymore of how I don't take care of it," Ed explained. "Maybe you should have left my leg the way it was."

"But we said we were going to get our bodies back and -!" Al started, comprehension dawning on his face as he saw the look on his brother's face. "You never intended to get your limbs back, did you?"

Ed didn't answer.

"Brother," Al scolded.

Ed sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Not my leg," Ed replied. "My arm, maybe, but not my leg."

"Why?" Al asked. "Didn't you miss not being able to walk barefoot at home while feeling it with your left foot?"

"I got used to it," Ed answered. "I know Winry misses the coldness of the leg when -."

"I don't need to know that," Al cut off, holding up a hand to stop his brother from finishing.

Ed grinned.

"Well, if you miss it so much, I can go and ask Truth if he can give you your auto-mail back, Brother," Al remarked.

Ed frowned at Al.

"Al, I didn't say that I'm not grateful that you got my arm and leg back for me," Ed said.

"But?" Al asked.

"Jeez, Al, do you have to be so menstrual?" Ed remarked.

Al blushed in embarrassment.

"That's not funny!" Al protested.

"I'm not laughing, Al," Ed replied. "I'm just irritated that you're always being bitchy. Dad has a stone at his core, but he's not being bitchy."

Al looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry," Al muttered.

Ed sighed again.

"Don't worry about it," Ed said. "Just stop being so angry all of the time."

"I'm not angry all of the time," Al muttered, then adding as he looked up at Ed, "am I?"

"Not all the time, no," Ed replied. "We only have one life to live and we need to enjoy it while we can, especially now."

Al nodded.

"Let's get to our homework done," Ed said.

Al nodded again. Then they got to their homework.